Sophomoric
by poeticgrace
Summary: Five Lima transplants try to make it through their sophomore year in New York, sharing their lives, their hearts and a home. Features Puck, Rachel, Blaine, Brittany and Sam.
1. Prologue

"So this is what you meant when you said you were spent and now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit, right to the top," Blaine sang to himself as he walked down a mostly deserted street at far too early an hour, music blasting into his headphones. "Don't hold back. Packing my bags and giving the academy a rain check. I don't ever want to let you down. I don't ever want to leave this town 'cause after all, this city never sleeps at night."

Blaine never told anyone that he was sad. That's not what Andersons did. Instead, he rolled his shoulders back and walked with a sense of purpose. His father always told him that if he looked like he knew where he was going that he would eventually get there. That's what Andersons did. They ended up somewhere.

He had always figured that place would be New York City and after a lifetime of growing up in Ohio, he had finally ended up in the greatest city in the world last year. His first term at NYADA had been amazing, and he had made a lot of really great friends he was sure he would know for the rest of his life. However, as the semester had drawn to a close and the long months of summer lay ahead, he had turned to the people who had already been there for him for so long. He had know way of knowing when he was walking down that street that summer would change his life for the better. It was the summer that would take away that sadness, the summer that would finally heal him.

Rachel was the first of the Lima immigrants to come part of his little rag-tag group. She had already been in New York for two full years at that point and it seemed as though she had never lived anywhere else. She had taken to the city immediately, despite all the drama her first year at NYADA had provided. When she was offered a minor role in "Funny Girl" that spring, she had delayed her sophomore year to make the most of her opportunity. She knew that Broadway breaks didn't come along every day, and she was willing to suck it up in the chorus just for the chance to be part of the Great White Way.

Blaine had ended up staying with her his first summer in New York when Kurt headed out to the West Coast to spend time with Mercedes while she recorded her second album. The two of them had formed a somewhat amicable friendship now that they were both living in New York, but Blaine knew that it was superficial at best. They co-existed for Rachel's benefit because she loved both of them, and after her big breakup with Brody a few days before her big debut the May before, she needed all the friends she could get.

However, with Kurt gone to LA, Blaine had convinced Rachel that they should get this ridiculously huge loft he had seen up for sublet on Craig's List. A viewing and an interview later, the two of them had signed a three-month lease that gave them some of the best real estate in Manhattan at a surprisingly cheap rate. They spent their mornings at dance classes and their afternoons exploring the city. It was pretty much inevitable that he would become her official best friend when Memorial Day weekend faded into early June. He had never been bitchy or competitive with her the way that Kurt was.

It's about that same time that Puck turned up with an old duffel bag of clothes and his guitar case strapped to his back. He'd kicked around California that first year before returning back to Ohio last year to help take care of his mom when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She'd pretty much forced him into taking music classes at OSU between her appointments, and when auditions for Tisch came up again that spring, she made it her biggest wish that he would at least try to get in. He was probably the only one surprised when he gained admission.

He told Blaine and Rachel that he needed to stay somewhere after his apartment building got condemned, though considering the few times Blaine had seen it, he wasn't really surprised. The place had been infested to say the least, and the blood stain in his bedroom was pretty permanently set in. Rachel helped him set up camp in a corner of their open living room, even finding an old silkscreen separator to give him a little privacy in the small area pretty much dominated by an old futon and stacks of sheet music and records. Puck was able to kick in on the rent and utilities with the money he got from tending bar at this dive a few blocks away and tips he made while performing at coffeeshops around the city or on the street. The three of them became their own little family, and Blaine liked having the two of them around.

He watched them dance around each other for awhile, wondering when they were finally going to give into temptation and just hook up. Rachel insisted that they were just friends and Puck mostly muttered how it was "fucking weird to be living with Berry" and Blaine prayed that the whole thing didn't end in some awkward disaster. However, even between cuddling on the couch and Rachel dragging him to Temple on Saturdays, the two of them managed to stay just friends. Blaine knew that Puck needed the stability of their little threesome after the curveballs life had thrown at him last year, and Rachel was still in the middle of her whole dating herself thing.

One girl who wasn't committed to only herself was Brittany. She'd spent her first year out of McKinley at Julliard, finally getting to dance without having the additional stresses of academics put on her. She had thrown herself completely into student life at the prestigious arts school and had easily made friends who loved dance as passionately as she did. She'd led the freshman student showcase and made a name for herself easily. A girl with her personality and unique sensability usually did. All of that only went to make Sam love her more.

They had been together for a full year when they both ended up in New York, her at Julliard and him at the New School's contemporary music program. Sam had never expected to even go to college, but when the university had offered him the chance to attend on a full-ride scholarship and follow his soulmate to New York, he hadn't thought twice about taking them up on the opportunity. They'd both lived apart in the dorms their freshman year and hated it. After pretty much living together during the second half of their senior year, Sam had gotten pretty used to sleeping next to his girlfriend and missed her when her rehearsals ran long or his class schedule got in the way.

When the very blonde couple found out that Puck had landed in New York and at the Blainchel loft as Brittany liked to call it, they pretty much just assumed that they could move in. There was a miniscule space with a door that they had been using for storage since Puck decided that he preferred his nook, and Blaine came home one day to find Sam and Puck pushing an old mattress into the tiny room. Rachel had simply shrugged as if she had given up before declaring that she was going up to the roof to practice. So by the time July was in full bloom, their spacious loft had been filled to the brim with five kids crazy about music from Ohio.

It could have been cramped, and they definitely had their fights when Puck came home loudly after a night out drinking or Sam and Brittany didn't bother to shut the door when they were hooking up or Rachel woke everyone up way to early while singing her warm ups and making tea. Blaine got pissed when Sam kept drinking his milk without asking and Brittany had this shared bathroom policy that Rachel wasn't fond of and Puck may have threatened to glue Rachel's lips together if she didn't quit lecturing him about his pork habits. However, it all came with love and it was exactly what they needed in a city like New York.

They were all sitting together on the roof one night, soaking up the rare cool evening in an otherwise cruel New York summer. Brittany was between Sam's legs, her head pressed against his chest while his guitar rested on her lap. Blaine lay in the sole lounge chair Puck had dragged up there after Rachel complained about never having anywhere to sit. His face was turned toward the sky, looking hopelessly for any sign of a star. Puck was leaned up against the wall, Rachel tucked neatly beneath his arm, the two of them huddled together in quiet discussion and lost in their own little world like usual.

"We should sing or something," Brittany suggested out of nowhere, her fingers playing idly with Sam's as they strummed an uncertain beat on his acoustic guitar. "It seems like forever since we sang together. In fact, I don't think I've even heard Puck sing at all since I've moved in."

"You mean that you get to miss his nightly shower performances when he gets back from the bar?" Rachel asked rhetorically, elbowing Puck gently in the ribs. "He wakes me up almost every night with his rendition of some John Mellencamp song."

Puck kissed the top of her head messily before leering at her in a way that was purely him. "You're just pissed because you'd rahter me wake you up another way, babe."

Rachel scoffed at his gentle teasing, sending the other four off in a chorus of pleasant laughter. It wasn't long before Blaine was pulling her to her feet so that they could all perform. She never was one to turn down the opportunity to sing for someone. Rachel tugged Brittany out of Sam's grasp.

"What should we sing?" Blaine asked, looking over at Brittany.

"Just follow me," Sam ordered as he started to strum a soft, easy melody on his guitar. Puck grinned as he recognized the opening beats. He began to softly drum along, slapping his hands in time against the concrete wall, just as Sam started to sing. "93 miles from the sun. People get ready, get ready, 'cause here it comes. It's a light, a beautiful light, over the horizon into our eyes."

"Oh, my my, how beautiful. Oh my beautiful mother," Puck took over. "She told me, son, in life you're gonna go far. If you do it right, you'll love where you are. Just know wherever you go, you can always come home."

Brittany's distinct voice chimed in on the next two lines before she sang solo. "240 thousand miles from the moon, we've come a long way to belong here. To share this view of the night, a glorious night, over the horizon is another bright sky."

"Oh my my, how beautiful, oh my irrefutable father," Blaine continued. "He told me, son, sometimes it may seem dark but the absence of light is a necessary part. Just know, you're never alone, you can always come back home."

"Oh, oh," the girls sang together while the boys echoed with a singluar, "You can always come back."

"Every road is a slippery slope, but there is always a hand that you can hold onto," Rachel sang, looking at Puck and then Blaine. "Looking deeper through the telescope, you can see that your home's inside of you."

"Just know that wherever you go," Puck and Blaine replied in unison back. "No, you're never alone. You will always get back home."

Puck dropped the percussion as Sam's single voice finished out the song with only his guitar to accompany him. "93 million miles from the sun. People get ready, get ready, cause here it comes. It's a light, a beautiful light, over the horizon into our eyes."

The four of them clapped as Sam sat down his guitar, grinning up at his girlfriend and then over at his friends. "We sounded pretty good still, huh?"

"Pretty good, Samuel, really?" Rachel laughed. "We were brilliant! Absolutely amazing. I'm really glad you guys are here. You've made this summer wonderful. I thought I was going to spend it alone until Blaine asked me to live with him, and now, we have this whole little New York family."

Puck came over and slung his arm around her shoulders. "Getting sentimental on us, Berry?"

"Leave her alone, Puck, Rach is right," Brittany said in the brunette's defense. "And you know she is, you love it as much as the rest of us."

He just sort of lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. Sam rolled his eyes at his friend's feigned coolness while Blaine could only laugh at how transparent Puck was.

"Well, if you really mean that, I have a proposition for you all," Blaine announced. "I got a call from the property owner last night, and it looks like he is going to be in London for another year. He said he'd extend our lease if we were intersted. What do you think about spending sophomore year living here together?"

"Really?!" Rachel squealed, moving away from Puck to hug Blaine excitedly. Brittany soon joined in, jumping and down with them in a tight circle. "Oh, it'd be so much fun!"

"Beats the dorms," Sam agreed, looking over at Puck. "I don't think I need to ask Brit what she's doing. What do you think?"

"I'm in. Easier than moving."

And that's how the five of them ended up spending their sophomore year of college, the best year of their life up to that point, in a loft in the middle of pretty much everything on earth. There would be friendships and romances, heartaches and heartbreaks. Old faces would pop back into their lives and new ones would become old friends. It was complicated, messy, cruel, terrifying, dramatic, sad, amazing, and through it all, they had each other. This is the story of that year.

* * *

_Author's note: Lyric credits go to "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons and "93 Million Miles" by Jason Mraz_


	2. Brittany is Bummed

This was the year that separated the amateurs from the professionals. At least that is what Rachel told Brittany a few days before the beginning of her second year at Julliard. She was really nervous about going back to school after just bumming around the city the entire summer, taking classes here and there whenever she could fit them into her schedule. Blaine had gone with her to a really great ballroom class in Soho, and Rachel had accompanied her to a string of modern jazz sessions she'd found at a tiny studio a few blocks from their shared loft. Either way, she hadn't kept herself in the shape that she was used to, so a few first-day jitters were in good order.

It wasn't twenty minutes into her tap class before she was right back in the groove. One of the instructors went through a particularly difficult combination, and Brittany was the first one to pick up on it. It wasn't long before she was helping a couple girls with the series of steps. This had always been one of her fortes, helping others. She had excelled at it back in high school when Mr. Schuester had basically made her and Mike the unofficial dance captains of the glee club. Those had been good days for her, and moments like this reminded her that school could be good for her again.

"Brit, thanks so much for helping out," the instructor told her as the rest of the students began to gather their things. Brittany smiled kindly and nodded while wiping the light sheen of sweat from the back of her neck. "You have a natural affinity for choreography. Have you ever thought about making that your specialty?"

The truth was that Brittany knew the day was coming soon where she would have to declare her dance specialty as a performer or a choreographer. She loved both equally and couldn't imagine her life without either. However, she knew that wasn't how Julliard worked and she'd eventually have to pledge her allegiance to one or the other in order to graduate. Dancing was her life, but she was starting to wonder if teaching could become her passion.

"I don't know," she shrugged eventually, pasting on her trademark sunny smile before tossing the soiled towel into her dance bag. "I just want to dance. I guess the rest will sort of figure itself out."

It was that naivety that had always made people believe that she was stupid. Brittany wasn't really all that dumb, just innocent and trusting. She truly believed that the world would work itself out and everything would come up roses. It always had in the past, and after a long talk with Lord Tubbington, even at her saddest, everything always ended up okay in the end. This wouldn't be any different. The Skype session she'd had with her favorite cat (via her little sister) last night assured her of exactly that.

Brittany was still thinking about what her focus should be going into the rest of her sophomore year when she came home to find the loft empty. It was rare these days to not find at least one of her roommates lounging somewhere in the house. She tossed her gym bag on the floor in the foyer and hooked her keys on the peg Rachel had assigned to her next to the door. The silence was nice, but she could have really used someone to talk to about the thoughts floating through her head. She grabbed a piece of fruit out of the fridge and headed toward the room she shared with Sam with plans to Skype with Santana. It'd been awhile since she had talked to her best friend from high school, and she thought maybe the Latina might understand.

She logged onto her laptop and pulled up Facebook to check on the rest of their old friends. Mike was still in Chicago at Joffrey, taking the city by storm like she always knew he would. Finn was back in Lima, and if the photos recently posted were any indication, New Directions had already had a few minor successes just a few days into the new school year. There were some photos of Mercedes' new hairstyle out in LA and an update about Tina's latest academic woe. Finally, she clicked over to Santana's page to check in.

Brittany was shocked at what she saw. Sure, she hadn't spoken with Santana all summer and hadn't really been in touch all that well before that. She had gotten busy during the spring with the freshman showcase and trying to work out time to spend with Sam, and their conversations had become less and less frequent the longer she was in New York. Santana had moved down to Boston after that spring she spent in New York, a move that had surprised everyone after how much she had talked about wanting to be a star. The distance wasn't much but was enough to allow them to grow apart. Brittany missed Santana when she let herself think about it, but these days, she didn't let herself think about it a lot.

On the page, though, was an entirely different person than the girl she had known most of her life. Well, actually there were two people that she didn't feel like she knew since Quinn seemed to be in most of the photographs. Their arms were around each other, smiling into one another's eyes and at the camera. There were even a few of them kissing, and Brittany recognized the sparkle in those warm brown eyes. Santana was a girl in love, deeply, with the other blonde that had once been part of the Unholy Trinity.

She had known that they had hooked up over a year ago after Schue's failed wedding to Miss Pillsbury, but no one had ever really talked about it much after that. Santana had went back to New York with Kurt and Rachel, and Quinn had resumed her studious life back at Yale. Brittany never asked Santana about the incident because she didn't feel like she really had the right. She wasn't jealous that she'd kissed Quinn, only curious really, because it didn't quite make sense. Santana had given Brittany the chance for them to reconcile and she had chosen Sam. Brittany didn't regret it for a single moment, but it didn't mean that she didn't miss her friend. The whole thing was just really weird.

But as she looked through the albums and various status updates, she realized she had missed Santana's entire life. It never clearly outlined that they were together, but the evidence was right there on the page. She checked Quinn's page and saw more of the same. The girls seemed happy together, and Brittany felt a twinge of something unfamiliar in her heart. She wasn't sure that it was jealousy because that had always been Santana's thing. It felt more like sadness, though she wasn't sure why exactly, and that made it even more upsetting.

She didn't know what to feel, but she knew that she needed to work it out for herself. She usually talked to Sam whenever she was trying to figure something out, but this wasn't exactly the kind of thing she could discuss with him. He was her boyfriend, and she seriously doubted he wanted to talk to her about one of her exes, even if the girl in question also happened to double as her best friend. Instead, she decided to opt for getting lost in a song for a few brief moments, hoping that the energy of dancing around would help clear her head.

"I hate you, I love you, I just can't remember to forget you. Who are you, who needs you? You make me feel alive," she sang as she started to stand up in the middle of the bed. "I die, so high, I'm crawling on the ground and I found I can fly."

She turned around in an elaborate serious of circles before starting to bounce on the balls of her feet. Brittany threw her arms over her head, whipping her hair back and forth in a whirlwind of blonde. "One of these days it all comes together. One of those days that goes on forever," she wailed loudly, not caring at all how she sounded. "Think it sounds crazy? Maybe, whatever, what's it all about?"

With a single graceful leap off the bed, Brittany bound onto the floor and started to perform some old Cheerios routine she'd thought she had long forgotten. "It's about life, it's about fun. It's over before it has begun," Brittany sang happily, closing her eyes as she let the words sink in. "It's about you, it's about me, it's about everything between and I say. I'm saying goodbye to you, I say hi to you with no clue. It's about time that I make up my mind!"

Brittany collapsed on the floor in a pile of laughter as the song continued to play on her computer. "Hey, anyone here?" Brittany slammed the lid down on her laptop at the sound of Puck's voice echoing through the loft, bringing an abrupt end to the tune.

"In here," she called out before pushing the computer beneath a pile of Sam's clothes in the corner. She always hid it when she didn't want to think about something as if making it disappear from her sight would actually make it cease to exist altogether. Puck appeared in her doorway, his eyebrow raised at the sight of her sprawled out on the floor. "I was just...singing."

"I know, I heard. You sounded good, Brit. It's been a long time since I heard you sing by yourself," he acknowledged as he came further into the room and sat next to her on the floor. "I also know that you only sing like that when you're trying to work something out in that pretty little head of yours. Why don't you tell the Puckasaurus what's going on and we'll try to figure out how to fix it?"

Brittany rested her head on his sturdy shoulder as he slid his arm around her back. The two of them had become best friends since she had come to New York. She had figured that Puck was basically the male version of Santana and her innocence seemed to remind him of Finn and it just worked. He never judged her or made her feel stupid, and she loved him in a different way than she loved Sam for it. They'd always been friends ever since they were kids and started running in the same social circle, had hooked up a few times over the years, just been part of each other's lives. It was comforting to have him around. He knew her history and understood a part of her that the others would never fully get.

"I just figured out that Santana and Quinn are like, I don't know, in love or something," she said softly. Brittany nibbled on her bottom lip for a minute. "I mean, when did that happen, Puck?"

He shrugged with the shoulder not holding her up. "I guess awhile ago. San never said anything to you?" he asked rhetorically. They both knew that she hadn't and why she couldn't. A part of the Lopez heart would always belong to Brittany. "Q never really said anything to me either, Brit. She just sort of kept casually mentioning Santana and her as a 'we' whenever I'd call to give her an update about Beth. I don't know if it's serious, don't even know if they know, but I think they're happy."

"That's good," she retorted, and they both knew that she genuinely meant it. She really did want her friends, especially Santana, to be happy. "I just don't know when Iquit knowing her. We used to tell each other everything. I mean, I could even feel her pain before I knew she was hurting. And now, I look at these pictures of the two of them, and it makes me sad because I don't know them anymore. I don't know her."

He tightened his grip around her and hugged her firmly to his side. "Sometimes we outgrow people, Brit. It sucks but it happens," he replied sadly. "I feel the same way whenever I talk to Finn or even Q. Those two used to be the most important people in the world to me besides my ma and my sister and Beth, but now, they're basically strangers. And you know what? That's okay with me. Do you know what makes it okay?"

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You," he answered softly, affectionately. "You and Berry and the Hobbit and Evans. You guys fill up the space they used to take up. You've become my family away from home, the people that I want to share all this shit with. You're my best friend now, Brit, and I am so fuckin' glad you are. That doesn't mean that what Finn and I had when we were kids means any less, it just means that things have changed."

"I'm glad you're my best friend, too," she decided. Then, she smiled up at him brilliantly and nudged her knee against his. "And to celebrate our best friendom, we should totally sing a duet because we've had this life-changing realization or whatever and that's what Rachel would say we should do."

"Fuckin' Berry," he muttered. "Alright, you pick the song, and I'll follow along."

Brittany accepted the phone from his outstretched hand, quickly scrolling through his extensive playlist until her eyes fell on a track she recognized and knew he loved. She wasn't sure that it was fitting or whatever, but she liked that it was upbeat and that they both knew most of the words. As soon as the song filled the confines of the tiny room, he had his trademark grin on his lips and his head started to nod along in time to the beat.

"Take it off, take it in. Take off all the thoughts of what we've been," he sang to her, his boot stomping softly on the carpet. "Take a look, hesitate, take a picture you could never recreate."

"Write a song, make a note, for the lump that sits inside your throat," she chimed in. "Change the locks, change the scene, change it all but you can't change what we've been."

"Your trojan's in my head," they sang together. "Oh, oh, your trojan's in my head. Your trojan's in my head."

Brittany started to shimmy a little as she took on the second verse. If it was anyone else, Puck would have probably been turned on, but watching Brittany now, he just felt happy that she was happy. "It's okay, if it's gone, the thoughts that you had that it was the one," she went on, perfectly in key. "And oh, what is left? For all those times, is that what you get?"

"Oh, regardless, the walls get painted away," Puck answered her in song. "Oh, you're guarding the gates, but it all got away."

"Oh, oh, your trojan's in my head," they came together in unison. "Oh, oh, your trojan's in my head. Your trojan's in my head."

As the song faded away, Puck looked over at Brittany and laughed softly. "You feel better now?"

"Yup," she nodded, letting the last consonant pop for emphasis. "You're a really good friend."

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, brushing her off. "Just don't tell anyone."

The next afternoon, Brittany invited all of her roommates to come to a preview of a performance they we're putting on for a few of the school's alumni and biggest benefactors. There were only a couple dozen guests littered around the front few rows of the auditorium, but Brittany was proud when she recognized her own little cheering section from the wings of the massive stage. It was a hip hop piece this time, full of the high energy that she was known to bring to her dancing. She had been working hard on it ever since they were assigned the choreo their first day of class and had pretty much perfected in just under 72 hours.

The driving beats of a hip hop instrumental started to boom through the speakers, and before she knew it, the curtain was lifting on the stage. Brittany moved to the front position of their V formation, bending and folding her body in these impossible positions that proved she was just as talented as everyone thought. She looked amazing with her insanely long legs kicking far over her head, completely parallel to her body, while she used a little hairography to her advantage. It looked like something straight out of a Beyonce video, but Brittany privately thought that the singer had nothing on her. As she did a crossover turn and pulled herself into a perfect back tuck right into the splits, she couldn't help but smile out at her friends. Their reaction was why she loved doing what she did.

"You were amazing, Brit," Sam said afterward, kissing the side of her head as he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend proudly. "Wasn't she just amazing, you guys? My girlfriend was amazing!"

"Yeah, yeah, Brit's amazing, we get it," Puck rolled his eyes as he leaned over to hug his friend. She smiled up at him when he winked, and she knew then that he was proud of her even if he wasn't going to show it. "Can we get out of here? I'm fuckin' starved."

"You're so crass," Rachel muttered before gently nudging him out of the way. "We are here to support and celebrate Brittany, and Samuel is right, Noah. Brittany, you were wonderful."

"The best on the stage," Blaine agreed as he hugged her tightly. "No surprise there."

"That's my girl," Sam repeated boastfully, causing Brittany to giggle. He was just so darn cute when he was proud of her, and Brittany adored how he always supported her completely no matter what she was doing. "What do you want to do to celebrate?"

"We could go to Central Park," she suggested, her eyes twinkling. "We could get food from those carts and find something Rachie can eat and then go feed the ducks. Doesn't that sound like fun, Sam? Can we feed the ducks?"

They all pretty much agreed that whatever Brittany wanted most of the time, they would give to her. Her requests were simple and easily granted, and no one was more excited when they got their way than Brittany, not even Rachel. "Sure, Brit, we can feed the ducks," Sam promised before linking his hand with hers. "What do you say? Everyone up for some duck feeding?"

"I could walk," Puck remarked, which pretty much meant that he was in. Rachel and Blaine were equally as agreeable, and the five of them set off into the warm New York afternoon to enjoy one of the last really beautiful days of summer.

Later that night, Sam came into their bedroom after beating Puck at yet another round of COD and a quick shower. "You smell good," she mused without looking up from her computer. Sam listened to the clicking of her nails on the keyboard as she typed away. He smiled at her when she finally glanced in his direction. "Writing an email to San. It's been awhile."

"Yeah, how's she doing?"

"I wouldn't know," Brittany admitted. "I think she's with Quinn, but we're not really sure."

"We?"

"Puck, I guess Quinn said something when he called her about Beth," she replied. "It's weird but whatever. It looks like they're happy, and that's all that's important."

Sam dropped down next to her on the bed and rubbed at her shoulders a little. "And are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, I am," she replied confidently, and this time, she really and truly meant it. She wasn't sad about it like she was before. "I got over Santana like that a long time ago. She will always be my friend, but she doesn't mean the same thing that she once did. I mean, I love you and I have Puck as my best friend, and I think that Quinn has given San those things in Boston. I'm glad she doesn't have to be alone since I can't be there."

"You have a good heart, Brittany S. Pierce," Sam remarked, leaning forward to kiss the tip of her nose. "I'm really glad that you decided that you wanted to be mine."

"Duh, Sammy, we're soul mates," she reminded him, grinning at him like she never had a choice in the matter. "It's always gonna be me and you, remember? We promised on the Mayan Apocalypse, and you know that I am really good at keeping my promises."

"The best," he agreed before kissing her again, this time more deeply and on the lips. "Love you, Brit."

"I love you too, Sam," she smiled before kissing him on the cheek one more time and turning back to the task at hand. She typed for a minute longer before reaching down to click send. "I told Santana goodbye. Maybe it's not forever, but for right now, I think that it's a good time for that part of my life to end."

"And the next part?"

"The next part has been going on for almost two years when I kissed you in a hallway by your locker," she decided. "There was a little overlap but that's okay. I asked Lord Tubbington and he said that happens sometimes."

"He's very wise, that cat," Sam mused. "I'm so glad he's on my side."

"This totally wouldn't work without his approval, so I'm glad too," she replied before jumping up from the bed. "Now watch this combination I'm trying out. I totally think it's what has been missing from that piece I want do in the recital next month!" She started to do this complex set of steps but stopped when she realized Sam was watching her but wasn't really paying attention. "Sam!"

"Sorry, Brit, I just forget how beautiful you are," he complimented her, sending a pretty blush down her neck. She smiled shyly at him as he tugged her by the wrist down to the mattress. "Why don't we spend a little time helping me remember?" Brittany couldn't help but laugh then because she had the perfect plan to make sure that he would never, ever forget.

* * *

_Lyric credits go to "It's About Time" by Lillix and "Trojans" by Atlas Genius. Like it? Let me know with a review._


	3. Sam is Sick

Sam woke up feeling sick about a week after Brittany's performance, and he knew immediately that it was going to be bad. He hadn't felt phlegm like that since he got mono from Quinn after she cheated on him with Finn back during sophomore year. Brittany was already gone to her early ballet class when he finally crawled from their room and went into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. One whiff of the strong stuff that Blaine always brewed and he was running across the loft to regurgitate last night's dinner in the bathroom. Rachel was standing behind the stove, carefully watching a steaming kettle, by the time he got back.

"I'm making you some tea," she told him maternally, pointing toward the stool at the bar where she wanted him to sit. He watched her thoughtfully as she moved around the kitchen, retrieving her special honey from the shelf she had labeled as hers and cutting a slice of an organic lemon she always kept stashed in the fridge. "This is my sure-fire remedy whenever I get sick. You know that you have to take care of your voice, Samuel. You are a vocalist, a performer, and your voice is what is going to make your living. Yelling and screaming with Noah over that silly video game until 3 a.m. is hardly taking care of your precious gift."

"But we were playing online with Mike and Artie," he pouted, as if this explanation justified everything. "Besides, Puck is never off in the middle of the week and Brittany was passed out pretty early. We were just having fun."

She glared at him pointedly, and for a moment, Sam was reminded of the look his own mother gave him when she was disappointed. "There is nothing wrong with choosing to be responsible sometimes," she replied before setting the mug of steaming hot tea in front of him. "Drink that and then go back to bed. You need twenty-four hours of good rest or you're just going to prolong your illness. I'll tell Blaine and Noah that you're under the weather so that they'll be mindful of your condition. Tell Brittany she can sleep in my room with me if she doesn't want to get your germs."

"Nah, Brit always sleeps with me when I'm get sick. I swear, that girl has the immunity of...well, I don't know what, but she never gets sick," he replied. "Besides, she likes to take care of me when I'm down. She's really good at it. My girl is so sweet."

Rachel smiled fondly at the love her two friends shared. "Brittany is indeed very special," she agreed before pulling a can of chicken noodle soup out of the cupboard. While she didn't eat the stuff herself, she kept a few cans around the loft for whenever anyone else caught a cold. "Heat that up around noon and try to stay hydrated. Call one of us if you need anything."

"Thanks, Rach," he retorted with a little wave. He watched her grab her purse and head off to class like the rest of the roommates.

He sat in the kitchen for a few more minutes until he emptied his tea mug and then headed back to the bedroom to get some sleep. Sam wasn't sure how long he was out, but the sun was decidedly lower in the sky when he woke up with a start. He could sense Brittany moving around their room before he fully regained his bearings. She was trying her best to be quiet but kept stepping on the part of the floor by the closet that always squeaked. "Hey, you're home"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you," she whispered as she came over to kneel down next to the bed. She brushed his hair away from his eyes tenderly. "Rachie said you were sick. Why didn't you text me or something? I could have come home early from class."

"I knew you had rehearsal, and I was just sleeping anyway," he said dismissively. "Besides, you're here now. Do you have to go anywhere?"

"Nope, I'm yours for the night, your personal nurse here to attend to your every need."

"Best offer ever," he smirked as his fingers weakly circled her wrist. "Want to come up here and lay with me?"

She nodded before turning her head toward the hall. "I'm just gonna go grab some soup. Rachel said that you needed to eat. You get comfortable, and I'll be right back with some soup and a few of those powdered doughnuts you love. Puck even said I could drag the TV in here so we can watch movies if you want. We haven't watched "Avatar" for awhile, have we?"

An afternoon in bed with his favorite junk food, his favorite movie and his favorite girl - Sam figured life didn't really get much better than that. He enjoyed the sounds of her clattering around in the kitchen, opening and shutting cabinets as she fixed him something to eat. She was singing to herself lightly, something she had been doing a lot more of lately. She was wearing his favorite sunny smile when she came back in, balancing a tray of food on top of the television that sat on the wheeled cart Puck usually kept their gaming stuff set up on in the living room.

"A bed picnic," she declared as she handed him his tray along with a tall glass of sparkling ginger ale. It was the good stuff, the kind with the real ginger and all kinds of fizz. "Now, you just lay back and relax. I'll start the movie."

Nearly three hours later, Sam grinned as the credits began to roll and Brittany quoted a few of her favorite lines like she always did. She hadn't really liked the movie the first few times she saw it, but now she seemed to love it simply because he did. She pushed the stop button on the remote before shutting off the television. "You think you could sleep again?"

"Maybe," he admitted. "Want to sing me a lullaby?" It was just something they did sometimes. "You don't have to."

"Of course I will," she replied as she wrapped herself around his side. She rearranged the covers up around his chin, snuggling into their warm little cocoon so that her mouth was right against his ear. She loved to sing to him like this, all soft and quiet, so that only he could hear her. "Close your eyes and listen."

"Love is a verb, it ain't a thing. It's not something you own, it's not something you scream," she sang softly, her voice barely a whisper. "When you show me love, I don't need your words. Yeah, love ain't a thing, love is a verb. Love ain't a thing, love is a verb."

Brittany started to rub little circles on his abdomen like she always did when they lay like this. He was never as completely at peace as he was then with her. "Love ain't a crush, it ain't an excuse. No, you can't get through love on just a pile of IOUs," she hummed without the benefit of a backtrack. "Love ain't a drug despite what you've heard. Yeah, love ain't a thing, love is a verb. Love ain't a thing, love is a verb."

He turned on his side to look into her eyes, seeing nothing but this love she sang of shining back at him. Two years with this girl and she still took his breath away. "You gotta show, show, show me. Show, show, show me," she continued, her fingers tracing the contours of his face. "Show, show, show me, that love is a verb. You gotta show, show, show me. Show, show, show me. Show, show, show me that love is a verb. Love ain't a thing, love is a verb."

Sam found sleep then and didn't wake up until early the next morning. Brittany was gone again, and he knew that she had her early group rehearsal for her tap class on Thursdays. He was surprised to find Blaine sitting in the corner this time, his curly-haired friend working away on his laptop while he kept vigil. "Brit made me promise to watch you," he smiled thoughtfully when he looked up. "I swear that girl is omniscient. I went in the kitchen to get a granola bar twenty minutes ago and she called to yell at me for not taking care of you."

"I keep telling her that it's just a mild flu, but you know how she gets," Sam told his best friend. "What ya workin' on?"

"Just reviewing some notes for a performance I'm supposed to do next week. You guys are still coming, right? Puck even took off from the bar, Rachel is making this into a big thing."

"Rach is exaggerating? Never!" Sam scoffed with a sarcastic grin. "But yeah, of course we'll be there, man. I can't wait to see you kick that song's ass. Do you want me to listen to it now? I could give you some critique."

"Nah, I want it to be a surprise for all of you guys. Rachel hasn't even heard it yet, much to her chagrin," Blaine smiled, his dark eyes twinkling mischievously. He loved antagonizing their resident diva almost as much as Puck did. "What about you? Are you doing anything public?"

"Not for school, but I'm thinking about doing something at this coffee shop that Puck plays at sometimes. I was in there with him last week when he was picking up his check, and he mentioned to the guy that I sang too. I guess they need someone on Saturdays when he's usually at the bar. It'd be pretty cool to play a regular gig. You think I could do okay?"

"Puh-lease, you with the guitar? You know you can do this, Sam," Blaine told him confidently. Sam knew he was pandering, but Blaine was really good at giving him the best-friend-pep-talk when he needed it. "And you know that we'll all come down to support you. I mean, Puck can't come, but Brit will definitely drag Rachel and me down there."

"Gotta have my fan club, right?"

Blaine mock saluted him. "Proud vice president reporting," he said almost robotically. Puck was Sam's boy and all, but Blaine was his wingman. He had been since they were in high school and everyone else had left them alone for senior year in Lima. They'd had their issues when Blaine had confused those feelings of friendship for something more, but Sam had never judged him or stopped being his best friend. "With Brit as your president, you'll always play to a packed house...or at least it will seem like it since we'll make so much noise cheering you on."

"It's a deal," he agreed weakly, extending his fist to bump it against Blaine's.

Sam was finally feeling better by that Saturday. Puck had stopped by the loft on his way to work to wish him well and to invite the four of them back to the bar for a drink after so they could tell him all about it. The girls had holed up in Rachel's room all afternoon to get ready, leaving Blaine and him to lounge around the living room watching some 90s video marathon on MTV. By the time Brittany stepped out in this crazy sexy purple dress with all these straps and heels that made her a good three inches taller than him, Sam was about ready to say screw his performance and take her to bed. And then Rachel came out after her, looking down at her phone, going on and on about how they only had twenty minutes to make it down there or he would be late.

He played most of his set to a half-filled cafe, most of the patrons too busy talking over their cups of coffee to pay attention to the blonde sitting on a stool with his guitar in the front of the place. He did a mix of classic rock songs and radio-friendly acoustic indie pieces that seemed to fair pretty well with the clientele. However, when he realized that he was nearing the end of his two-hour set, he decided to take a nod from his Kentucky roots and play a country song.

"This is the last one I am going to be playing tonight. I want to thank you all for putting up with me for so long, especially my friends who came out here just to see me," he said into the microphone, smiling in the general direction of Blaine, Rachel and Brittany. "Anyhow, I hope y'all like it. Brit, this one's for you."

"Girl, I know I don't know you but your pretty little eyes so blue are pulling me in like the moon on your skin. I'm so glad you trust me to slide up on this dusty seat and let your hair down, get out of town," Sam sang, strumming his fingers easily on his trusty guitar. Rachel and Brittany were swaying at their table, his girlfriend's eyes glittering brilliantly in the low light of the cafe. "Got the stars coming out over my hood and all I know is now is it's going good. Sing with me if you know it!"

"You got your hands up, you're rocking in my truck. You got the radio on, you're singing every song," the crowd, including his friends, sang together. "I'm set on cruise control, I'm slowly losing hold of everything I got, you're looking so damn hot. And I don't know what road we're on or where we've been. From staring at you, all I know is I don't want this night to end."

Sam jumped down from the stool and started to walk through the crowd, carefully weaving in and out between tables. "Gonna cuss the morning when it comes cause I know the rising sun ain't no good for me 'cause you'll have to leave," he continued. "Gonna make the most of every smile, do anything to make your smile land on my lips, get drunk on your kiss." He stopped when he was in front of Brittany, looking down at her as he worked through the song. "Clock on the dash says 3:35. There's plenty of gas and the night's still alive..."

The audience helped him on the chorus, and he knew that Brittany was singing every word right to him as she stared up at him. This girl did all kinds of things to his heart. He regretfully left her proximity to make his way back up to the microphone so that he could finish the song.

"All I know is I don't want this night to end," he wailed. "I don't want this night to end. No, I don't want this night to end."

* * *

_Lyrics credit goes to "Love is a Verb" by John Mayer and "I Don't Want This Night to End" by Luke Bryan. Thank you all for the reviews, follows and favorites._


	4. Rachel is Riled

The entire loft was wrapped up in classes and work by the time late September crept into the city. Puck had been putting in long hours at the bar to help make tuition payments, his mother only just having gone to back to work at the hospital a few months ago. Rachel was having extensive rehearsals for a student musical production she was working on that would debut after Thanksgiving, and Blaine had been tapped to do background vocals for a benefit album NYADA was producing for their scholarship fund. Brittany had found a part-time gig teaching ballet lessons to six-year-olds in Brooklyn, and Sam was pulling double duty over at the New School teaching guitar lessons as part of his work study program.

Needless to say, their hectic schedules have created undue tension in the house because everyone is simply stressed. Some of them are around at completely opposite times of the day, and not everyone is as considerate as Brittany is when she takes to making sure she talks to each of her roommates for at least fifteen minutes every day. For instance, on a particularly terrible Thursday morning, Rachel and Puck get into an argument that gets Sam out of bed and on his way to class three hours early just so he can avoid the fireworks. It's awful and completely unlike Rachel and totally like Puck.

"You have got to be fuckin' kidding me, Berry!" Puck nearly screamed from his bed in the corner. It was already nine in the morning, and their most punctual roommate was already halfway through her morning routine. That meant that she was promptly on time for her vocal warm-ups while she made her usual cup of tea in the kitchen a mere fifteen feet from his head. "We have talked about this. Some of us sleep in because some of us have to work to afford to live here and go to school. You have got to shut up."

"Shut up? Shut up!?" Rachel squawked incredulously. She couldn't believe the nerve. "Excuse me, but who was singing Bruce Springsteen at 2:45 a.m. when the rest of the house was asleep? You, Noah, you were! You were singing at the top of your lungs, drunkenly if I might add, in the bathroom that just happens to share a wall with my bedroom. Did you care about who needed to sleep then?"

Puck shot out of bed and stomped across the living room in two seconds flat. "Maybe if you gave me – or anyone else here – the same consideration, I might think about respecting your precious schedule," he shot back. She visibly cringed at the comment, and she knew he knew that it stung. She was always pretty mindful of other people since everyone had called her self-centered back in high school. It was a feeble insult, but it still struck a much-needed low blow. "Now if you don't mind, I am going to try to get some sleep. Keep your damn trap shut."

She actually stomped her little foot then, planting her fist firmly on her right hip. "Don't talk to me that way, Noah," she demanded. He made her so angry sometimes. No one else on the planet was able to evoke such a passionate rage, but she still managed not to cry. She was actually pretty proud of herself for keeping the tears at bay. "I don't care what you think of me. You will not talk to me that way."

With that, Rachel grabbed her to-go cup of tea and stomped out of the apartment much the same way he had stomped across the living room before. She did her best to brush off the bad mood their little argument had left her in. She didn't know why she let him get the best of her, to get so far under her skin. They had always fought like that, trading little barbs and insults, but sometimes it actually physically hurt to argue with him. Despite what everyone thought, she actually kind of hated it.

"Hey, Rach," Blaine greeted her a few hours later when they met up for lunch at this tiny little diner they'd found his first week in the city. They had been coming their regularly because she swore they had the best whole wheat vegan pancakes she'd ever had. Since the coffee wasn't bad and they made a great waffle, Blaine had agreed when she had wanted to deem it their place. "How's your morning going?"

"Oh, you won't believe what Noah said to me this morning!" she exclaimed before launching into a ten-minute recap of their fight earlier. Blaine watched with amusement as she recounted all the miniscule details that Puck had probably already forgotten and only Rachel would ever remember. "I just don't know what his problem is, Blaine. He's just so mean sometimes."

Blaine lifted an eyebrow as he looked at her. "Puck hasn't been truly mean to you since you dated him sophomore year and he stopped throwing slushies at you, Rach," he told her. "This whole thing you two do, argue and make up, is nothing more than a playground game of Russian Roulette where he tugs your pigtail and you kick him in the shin."

Rachel rolled her eyes at her best friend. "You think we like each other?"

"No, I know you two like each other," Blaine countered. "Everyone knows you like each other. Sam and I have a pool going on when it will actually happen, and Brit is totally the biggest cheerleader for Puckleberry 2.0. In fact, I think it might actually kinda break her heart if it doesn't happen."

"But I'm not dating boys this year, Blaine, I'm focusing on school and on me," she reminded him. This had been her mantra for a while now, and no one, including him, was buying it. "Besides, Noah called me self-centered and he's completely rude."

"Puck's always been rude. That's just who he is, and you know that. I also think that for some reason, that's part of why you like him. He is totally different than you, Rach, and it sort of balances you guys out. And you know that he only fights with you when you fight with him. He wants to hurt you before you hurt him. It sucks that he's like that when he's fighting with you, but it's kinda awesome when he's fighting for you. Puck doesn't fight with or for anyone as hard as he does you."

She tilted her head in consideration. Puck had always backed her up after that week sophomore year where they "dated." Call it Jewish unity or friendship or being teammates, whatever it was, he always seemed to take her side whenever everyone else was against her. She had never really taken the time to fully appreciate that until he showed up in New York. Maybe there was something to what Blaine was saying. Was it entirely possibly that she had been missing something like that for this long?

"I guess I should probably apologize," she announced finally. "Goodness knows he'll never do it first."

"You could make him some of those famous 'I'm Sorry' cookies," he suggested. "Puck is a sucker for those."

"Noah _is_ very fond of my cookies."

"I'm sure he is, Rach, but I really don't need to hear about that."

Rachel stuck out her tongue at him and giggled. "Thanks for talking to me, Blaine, you always help me sort out my thoughts," she smiled softly. She was really glad to have a best friend like Blaine after Kurt had abandoned both of them for his California dreams. "But cookies aren't going to be enough. You have to help me come up with a plan."

Blaine tapped his temple before leaning across the table. "I know just the thing…"

It's Blaine's little plan and Brittany's makeover talents that has her sidling into Puck's bar at eleven that Friday night in her shortest black dress and her tallest red heels. The smoky club was packed to the rafters with college kids around their age, sitting in pairs and small groups in the nearby booths and at the bar itself. Rachel searched behind the bar for his familiar hazel eyes and found relief when he grinned at her through the crowds of people. He jerked his head in her direction before leaning across the bar to say something to a couple of guys. They looked in her direction before sliding off their stools.

"I don't even want to know what you had to say to get them to give up their seats," Rachel announced as she hopped onto one of the abandoned stools. Sam and Blaine stood behind her as Brittany took the other available seat. "In fact, I'm not even going to complain because my feet are killing me after walking sixteen blocks in these heels."

"Worth it," he smirked before sliding a dirty martini across to her, setting two beers in front of the guys and pouring a Coke with a bright pink straw for the non-drinking Brittany. She smiled up at him prettily, touched that he knew her order despite the fact that she ordered the same thing every week. "Besides, I just told them that the next round was on the house if they let you sit down. You know I'll always take care of my girls."

"Thanks, Puck," Brittany chirped happily before taking a long sip of her Coke. "It's busy, huh?"

"Yeah, I've been going all night," he replied without ever lifting his gaze from Rachel. She knew that he liked how she looked; he never made any qualms about telling her or hiding his reaction. "I gotta get these orders out and then I'll take a break with you guys. Back in five."

Rachel watched as he turned to start filling the stack of drink orders that had piled up since their arrival. He worked the bar masterfully, sliding beers toward loud frat guys and mixing pink cocktails for gorgeous girls that he seemed oblivious to. "You should go sign in," Brittany whispered, elbowing Rachel gently in the side before pointing toward the table where the guy who ran karaoke had set up for the night. "Hurry, before he takes his break. He'll know something is up if you wait."

"Save my seat," Rachel told Blaine before hopping down from the bar stool to make her way over to the table. She quickly scanned the list before her eyes fell on the one she had been working on. It only took her a minute and a $5 bill to make sure that her name was on the top of the list. Puck was just delivering some shots to a booth in the corner when she got back to their friends. "I'm up first."

"You should have done 'Sweet Caroline,'" Brittany mused aloud. "Remember when he did that?"

Of course she did. It was a defining moment of her adolescence. "Yeah, I remember, Brit," she smiled. The blonde was the only one there who could share that memory. "You know that I've never sung to Noah before? We've sung together a few times, but I've never done a solo just for him."

"Then I'd say it's long overdue," Sam told her as he rested his hand on the small of his girlfriend's back. "It's how I got Brit here."

"Actually, I think it was the Cheerios," she replied honestly. "I really like snacks."

"Me too," Puck said lowly into Rachel's ear as he appeared behind her. He set his hand on her hip, pressing his chest to her back lightly. "Thanks for those cookies you left for me this morning, Berry. They were pretty delicious."

She grinned up at him over her shoulder. "You're welcome." She tried to ignore Blaine and Brittany as they exchanged a giddy, knowing look. "I figured you must have enjoyed them because you didn't even leave any crumbs."

"You know I love your cookies," Puck replied, causing Blaine to snort. "In fact, I can't get enough of your cookies."

"Noah," she warned in that voice of hers, the one that got a little deeper when she knew that she was in dangerous territory. She didn't get a chance to say anything more because the DJ was soon announcing her name. She slipped away from Puck, turning to smile back at her friends. "I guess that's me."

"What's going on?" she heard Puck ask as she walked away from them and toward the stage.

The bar was busy, but she still recognized a few of the regulars. They had heard her sing plenty in this place. They were fixtures around the bar, coming in to keep Puck company on slow nights and enjoy the city's energy when it was busy. Friday nights were her favorite because they meant karaoke, and Rachel was totally a sucker for an empty stage. Besides, the patrons made a great audience the deeper into the night it got, increasingly willing to give her a standing ovation and shower her with accolades.

"So a few days ago, I got into a fight with someone who is very important to me. A lot of people think we are like fire and ice, total opposites, but I actually think we're both pretty alike. In fact, we're probably both fire, bound to burn each other, but we just can't seem to stay away," she told the crowd, her eyes finding Puck's again. "Anyway, I know that I've been kind of trying lately, so I hope that he will accept this song as my apology. Noah, this one is for you."

Rachel started to sway her hips as the slow, rock song blared into the bar. "I'm strong but I break. I'm stubborn and I make plenty of mistakes," she sang, her voice rich and deep. "Yeah, I'm hard and life with me is never easy. To figure out, to love, I'm jaded but oh, so, lovely. All you have to do is hold me and you'll know and you'll see just how sweet it can be. If you trust me, love me, let me. Maybe, maybe."

Puck's eyes were glued to hers as she took the microphone from the stand and started down the steps that had been set up at the middle of the stage. "Someday when we're at the same place, when we're on the same road, when it's okay to hold my hand," she sang, holding the last note. "Without feeling lost, without all the excuses, when it's just because you love me, you let me, you need me. Then maybe, maybe, all you have to do is hold me. And you'll know and you'll see just how sweet it can be. If you'll just trust me, love me, let me. Maybe, maybe."

She was mesmerized by how the rest of the audience seemed to disappear around him. For that moment, in that song, it was just the two of them in the dusky bar. She was singing only to him. "I'm confusing as hell. I'm north and south and I'll probably never have it all figured out, but what I know is I wasn't meant to walk this world without you," she wailed. She stepped through the people to a small clearing just a few feet in front of her friends. "And I promise I'll try. Yeah, I'm gonna try to give you every little part of me. Every single detail you missed with your eyes. Then maybe, maybe, yeah, maybe."

Rachel tried to convey how deep that promise ran as she walked a few more steps further. "One day we'll meet again and you'll need me, you'll see me completely," she sang before perching on Puck's knee. She turned to the side to look up into his eyes. "Every little bit. Oh, yeah, maybe you'll love me. You'll love me then."

His hand slid down to wrap around her back as she reached up with the hand that wasn't holding the microphone. She ran it over his cheek for added effect, ever the consummate performer, but it was really just an excuse to touch him. "I don't want to be tough and I don't want to be proud. I don't need to be fixed and I certainly don't need to be found," she continued as her fingers trailed down his neck and onto his chest. "I'm not lost. I need to be loved, I just need to be loved. I just want to be loved by you and I won't stop 'cause I believe." She just had to touch him."That maybe, yeah maybe. Maybe, yeah, maybe."

And if the way he was gripped her waist, he apparently had to touch her. "I should know better than to touch the fire twice, but I'm thinking maybe, yeah maybe, you're mine," she finished, her eyes locking with his again. "Maybe, love, maybe."

The bar erupted into wild applause around her, but Rachel still didn't seem to notice. She could only feel his arms still around her, his eyes look into hers, his breath hot on her neck. "We need to talk," he whispered, not breaking his gaze as he reached up to rub his thumb underneath her chin. "Stay until closing."

"Yeah," she said dumbly, unable to find any other words."Yeah, sure, okay."

Rachel sat at the end of the bar for a few more hours as the crowd slowly began to thin out. Brittany and Sam were the first of their little group to head out. Sam had an early lesson, and Brittany was pretty much dead on her feet. Blaine stayed for another hour after that but eventually left so he could catch his brother who was filming some indie movie down in Sydney. Rachel stayed behind and sipped the same martini she had been nursing for nearly two hours, not indulging too much so she could keep a clear head. She was relieved when last call finally came, and the other two bartenders told Puck he could leave first when they saw her still waiting.

Puck grabbed his coat from the backroom and wrapped it around her bare shoulders when they headed out onto the street. They walked silently like that for a few minutes until Puck turned them into a park. They found an empty bench beneath a bright streetlight near the entrance. Rachel tried not to be too nervous as she sat down next to him, crossing her legs primly in front of her but turning her body slightly toward him.

"Did you mean what you said tonight?"

Rachel looked up from her hands in her lap and nodded slowly. "I'm not even sure what part you're asking about," she answered easily. "I meant it when I said I was sorry. I meant it when I said we could burn each other. I meant it when I sang that song because it was the only way I could really explain how I feel. I meant it all, Noah, I meant everything."

He reached down and took her hand in his, playing with her fingers absently. "I'm not perfect, baby."

She shivered a little at the term of endearment. It had always belonged to her, and she liked it so much better than when he called her Berry. "I know you're not. As much as I would like to pretend, I'm not either," she admitted. "I could be really bad at this. You could totally fail me. The thing is that we have to try because I know how I feel about you, how I've felt all summer. We could drag it out longer but it kind of feels inevitable, doesn't it? You know that we're going to end up together eventually."

He let out a little puff of laughter. "We've been on a crash course toward each other since we were sixteen," he agreed. "I really like you, Rach, like a lot. And that's not easy for me. I don't want to fuck this up. You're too important."

"I'm going to be here no matter what, Noah," she promised. "Just like I know that I've always been able to count on you, even when you didn't know or want to admit it."

Puck leaned forward and kissed her then, cupping her face in his palms confidently. She hummed her pleasure in response as his tongue gently traced her bottom lip. It was the first time they had kissed since the disaster of "Run, Joey, Run." They pulled away reluctantly in search of breath, but she maintained the contact as she pressed her forehead to his.

"It's late and I'm freezing," she said. "The subway is about to stop running for the night. My feet are killing me, and I have no intention of paying for a taxi."

He knew that she meant that they should catch the train, so he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. They waited briefly at the station, just a few other New Yorkers milling around to catch the same line. When she was finally off her feet again in her seat, she allowed Puck to pull her close to his body and thrived from the heat of his proximity. Rachel started to hum a song that had been stuck in her head for a few days.

"What is that one?" he asked her softly. "I like it, it's pretty."

"I showed up at her door, no gifts or explanations for the way I've been acting. Father time just kept on passing," she sang quietly so as to not disturb the other passengers. "I tried to kiss her lips. She said let's put an end to this. A simple overreaction, it sent my head into a backspin. I don't know where to run, to run."

Puck recognized it one as she played often when she was alone in her room. He had gotten to know it quite well through the wall their bedrooms shared. "She was a teenage girl, I made sure to promise her the world," he continued for her. She smiled up at him then and he felt like a king. "Spent money fast as lightning, anything just to keep her smiling. My voice was all she heard, sentences filled with empty words. I thought I was so clever. I never knew our line would sever."

"I don't know where to run, oh, oh," they sang together. "I don't know where to run, oh, oh. I don't know where to run."

"I wake up on the floor," she sang to him. "My head replays that closing door."

"My heart won't stop rewinding, inside clocks all out of timing," he sang back to her. "She starts to disappear. There'll be no turning back from here."

She closed her eyes at the intimacy of the moment. "When all is said and done," she finished, her voice barely a whisper. "And I begin to run."

Rachel was cursing the sun early the next morning when her alarm went off at the usual time. She turned it off without bothering to hit snooze, knowing that she was going to forego her daily workout in lieu of some much-needed sleep. She didn't hear any other sounds in the loft as she turned over and pulled the blankets over her head. Even if it had been really hard to leave him behind in the living room last night, she was suddenly really glad that she had decided to sleep alone this morning.

She finally crawled out of bed a few hours later when a knock echoed against her door. She wasn't surprised to find a fully dressed Blaine waiting on the other side. "Sam and Puck are at the gym, and you are going to brunch with Brit and me," he ordered her, not even bothering to ask if she was interested. "Take a quick shower, we're leaving in fifteen."

A half-hour later, Rachel followed Blaine and the waitress toward a table outside on the patio, with Brittany practically glued to her right side. Blaine ordered coffee, Rachel got a green tea, and Brittany was excited to find chocolate milk on the menu.

"Thanks for coming out with us, Rachie," Brittany said happily. "We needed a girls' day."

"Uh, Brit, Blaine's a boy, remember?"

Brittany waved her hand dismissively before she smiled over at her self-professed favorite unicorn. "Duh, but he can totally have a girls' day AND a boys' day. Our Blaine Warbler is special," she told her friend, suddenly sounding very wise. "Anyways, you and Puck sounded happy when you came in last night!"

"You were still up?" Rachel asked sheepishly. She had figured everyone was long in bed. "But yeah, we did. We talked. We're going to go out soon."

"Like on a date?" Blaine teased.

"Yes, like on a date," Rachel blushed. She felt like she was back in high school gossiping with Tina and Mercedes about her stupid, useless crush on Finn. She missed the girls, especially Tina, she needed to call them. Rachel shook her head to clear away the distractions. "I guess you were right, Blaine. Puck thought it was only a matter of time."

His knowing grin was equally boastful and thrilled. "You guys are going to be great together."

"It remains to be seen…"

"C'mon, Rachie, you know I've always loved Puckleberry," Brittany reminded her. "Besides, Puck is my best friend and you're my best girl friend so it's perfect!"

Blaine looked at her with a mock-wounded look on his handsome face. "I thought I was your best girl friend, Brit."

"You're my best unicorn," she grinned. "And I totally call godmother!"

"We haven't even gone out yet," Rachel argued. "That'd be like me calling godmother on your kid."

"Nope, Blaine already called it. And since I said Puck could be godfather, I told Sammy that he could pick the godmother and Sam's totally his best friend. Sorry, Rachel," Brittany explained. That girl's heart was so big. "But you can still be Auntie Rachel!"

Rachel threw her head back and laughed. "Sounds like a deal," she agreed. "Now we just need to find someone for our little Blaine here and our family will be complete." Blaine grimaced at her defiantly. "C'mon, Blaine, you never know. I've spent so much time dwelling on what happened with Finn and then with Brody that I never really let myself move on. It's only now with Noah that I can imagine a future where I'm actually happy. It's because of Noah that I am finally able to just let go."

* * *

_Lyric credits go to "Maybe" by Kelly Clarkson and "To Run" by Josiah Leming. We finally have our little introduction toPuckleberry. I know that you all wanted more of them, but this is a group piece and I am going to give all five of my characters equal time. Some of you might not like that, but I hope you will give my story a chance and stick with me anyhow._


	5. Blaine is Belligerent

While Rachel and Puck were slowly finding their way toward each other and Sam and Brittany were wrapped up in the same lovers' haze they'd been in for two years, Blaine was the one person left in the loft who was still fairly certain that love was shit. Maybe it wasn't as eloquent as he would usually say it, but between becoming jaded over the past couple years and the poor influence of living with Puck for a few months, it was pretty much the only way he could imagine describing it at this point. Even with his home full and bustling with the activity of his four closest friends, he still felt utterly alone. He was sorta starting to hate the guy he had become.

He started to contemplate this thought one night while laying alone in his bedroom, staring up at the collage of photos from his days of McKinley that Tina had given him on their graduation day. He saw those old familiar faces smiling down at him, taunting him for who he hadn't yet become. He knew that he was supposed to be more than this; the "Most Likely to Succeed" certificate stowed away in his closet at his parents' house told him as much. Still, even with all the successes he had found in New York, he still felt like a failure. Without Kurt - without any man in his life - he was really starting to believe that he was one.

They hadn't been together in over two years, but Blaine still cared so much about his first love that it killed him to even hear someone mention his name. He had been the one to cheat, to devastate the man who had meant more to him than anyone, but it didn't make it any easier to move on. He had watched Kurt do it while he was still in Lima for his senior and got to witness it even more closely when they both tried to hang out with Rachel during his first year in New York. It had never gotten any easier, and even with the entire country between them now that Kurt was out in LA, Blaine knew that he wasn't any closer to moving forward.

Rachel and Sam had both tried relentlessly to get him back into the dating game. Rachel was forever trying to set him up with a guy she knew from school or dance classes, but he always brushed her off with a simple, "I'm not interested." Sam, bless his heart, even tried to point out guys he thought Blaine might like when they were out on the street, but Blaine would just silently shake his head before following his best friend around the city. Puck never really said much, just occasionally complained that "the Hobbit needs to get fuckin' laid" whenever Blaine got a little grouchy. Brittany just told him that his magical unicorn would come along someday when he was sad. It was times like those when he kinda loved Brit the most.

He was having one of those sad unicorn days that night in his room, and he couldn't help but wish that his favorite blonde dancer was around the loft so that she could cheer him up. He could hear Puck snoring in the other room and knew that he had been pulling long hours at the bar. Figuring he wouldn't be much company, Blaine decided that it might just be better that he turn in for himself and sleep away the misery. He had just pulled on his favorite flannel pajama pants when he heard his phone ring from beneath the stack of pillows on his bed. He fished it out and stared at it blankly as the familiar photo flashed on the screen and that damn song - their song - filled the air.

"Kurt?"

Blaine heard a small exhale on the other end of the line. "Hi, Blaine," he said softly, his high-pitched voice barely above a whisper. Kurt was never quiet and his low tone nearly unnerved Blaine. "I hope I'm not calling too late. I didn't even think about the time when I picked up the phone."

Glancing at the clock next to his bed, Blaine shook his head before realizing that Kurt couldn't see him. "Nah, it's just a little after ten. I was getting ready for bed," he replied before sitting down on the edge of the mattress. "What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Well, I guess I needed to talk to you to be more accurate," Kurt told him. Blaine knew that his ex-boyfriend was struggling to find the words. "I'm, um, I'm coming to New York."

"Oh," Blaine replied bluntly. He knew that Kurt would be back eventually, but he figured that it would be awhile. "I thought you were busy with Mercedes. When will you be here?"

"In a couple weeks," Kurt answered. "Rachel wants me to come out to see her perform at the autumn showcase, and I promised her that I would be there. Mercedes has a break coming up, so she's going back to Ohio to visit her family. I thought I'd use the time to catch up with Rach and my other friends in the city."

"I'm sure she'll love having you here," he retorted, not really sure what else he was supposed to say. "Are you staying here?"

"No, we'll get a hotel."

"We?"

"That's the other reason I'm calling," Kurt admitted. "I didn't want it to catch you off guard, but I'm kinda seeing someone. It's actually getting serious. He works with the company that Mercedes is using as her backup dancers."

Blaine clasped a hand over his mouth, suddenly feeling very sick. This was the last thing he wanted to talk to Kurt about. "Well, congratulations," he managed despite the nausea. "I appreciate the warning."

"Sure, no problem."

"Well, if there isn't anything else, I should probably get going. I have an early class," Blaine lied, wanting to end the call before the tears started to fall. "Thanks for calling Kurt. I guess we'll see you soon, yeah?"

"Yeah, I look forward to it," Kurt chirped and Blaine hated him a little for sounding so glad. "Good night, Blaine."

Blaine didn't even bother returning the sentiment before tossing the phone in the chair across the room. He was so hurt, so angry, so confused. Rather than spending any time trying to figure out what it meant, Blaine yanked off his pajama pants and quickly replaced them with an old pair of basketball shorts. He grabbed the roll of white tape from his desk and quickly went about taping up his knuckles. He contemplated asking Puck for permission before he went to town on the punching bag that was set up in the corner of the loft that also housed Rachel's elliptical and Brittany's ballet barre. Instead, he just popped in his ear buds and started beating the hell out of the bag.

"Thought you'd change the weather. Start a little storm, make a little rain, but I'm gonna do one better - hide the sun until you pray," Blaine sang lowly as he attacked the bag with a series of quick uppercuts. "I'ma tornado looking for a soul to take."

He let the haunting, angry music wash over him as he pounded the bag. "You're gonna see me coming by the selfish things that you did. Im gonna leave you guessin' how this funnel is gonna hit. I'm a tornado looking for a man to break," he thrummed angrily. He changed the position of his fists to get in a string of hard-hitting crossovers. "Yeah, I'm gonna lift this house, spin it all around, toss it in the air and put it in the ground. Make sure you're never found."

Blaine leans back and brings his right leg up to kick the bag. One, two, three, just a quick succession of clean hits right to heart of it. "Thought you'd take a swing, try another girl, try another night," Blaine howled. Every ounce of anger he had was seeping out of his body in waves. "But it's the pain that brings my force of nature back to live. I'm a tornado more disturbed than an F5."

He worked his way through the chorus a couple times without even thinking about it, eventually relaxing his jabs to match the syncopation of the scornful song. "The winds are getting stronger and the sky is falling through," he sang, pounding each syllable as hard as he was the leather in front of him. "And you ain't got much longer 'til the rage rips off the roof. I'm a tornado and I'm coming after you."

Blaine ripped out the headphones as the song came to an end, dropping to his knees on the hardwood floor, and just lost it completely. All the adrenaline of his angry fight with himself just moments before quickly dissipated, leaving behind a broken shell of a man. He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that, sobbing freely into his hands, ignoring the blood that was drying beneath the sticky tape. It would be so much easier if he could just hate Kurt.

"Hey, hey, man, what's wrong?" he heard suddenly, feeling the familiar warmth of Sam's arms wrapping around him. Blaine peered up between his fingers and looked at his best friend. He could read the concern in the blonde's eyes and knew that he was scaring the hell out of him. "Blaine, c'mon, let's get your hands cleaned up before one of the girls gets home and freaks out."

Blaine allowed Sam to lead him into the hallway bathroom. Sam looked at him questioningly as he handed over peroxide and a clean bandage. "Kurt called," he explained as he bent over the sink. He winced visibly when he pulled away the tape. He'd really made a mess of his knuckles. "He's coming to New York and he's bringing his boyfriend. Apparently it's serious."

"Oh, man," Sam exhaled, bitting down on his bottom lip. Blaine nodded silently at his best friend. "I'm sorry, dude, I had no idea. I know Rach had talked about inviting him out for the showcase or whatever, but I honestly don't think she knew he was bringing someone."

Blaine shrugged uselessly. It didn't really matter either way. He wasn't mad at Rachel for this. He was mad at himself for losing Kurt in the first place. "I'm not ready to see him, Sam, not with someone else," Blaine confessed. "It was hard enough last yea when I knew he was seeing people or whatever, but I never had to witness it for myself. And now there's this guy, this dancer, and I know Kurt's happy voice. This guy matters and I'm jealous and I'm scared as hell that I'm never going to be happy like that again."

"Hey, dude, it's okay," Sam replied tenderly, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "I know where you're coming from. I thought I'd never get over Quinn cheating on me or Mercedes moving to LA, but I did. Man, I'm so glad that I did because I would have never gotten with Brit, and can you imagine me without her now? You're gonna get that, man, I promise. You just have to hang in there."

"You say that about Brittany and Rachel is just so sure now that she and Puck are going to go out on this date, but it doesn't feel true, Sam."

"I know," he replied. "Look, if you want to wallow, I'll let you, but I have to tell you, buddy, that I think you should do something about it instead. I don't care if you go to a bar and find someone or go out with a guy from school. Just go out once, try a no-pressure date where you can just have fun and get your feet wet again. It's been awhile, dude. You need to just try to have some fun."

Blaine eventually agreed to give it some thought and Sam left him alone to finish tending to his wounds when Brittany called out that she was home. He spent the better part of the next two days thinking about it, wondering if now was the right time for him to finally move on. He even went as far as to look up some online dating sites to see what was out there. There seemed to be one for every affiliation, every sexual preference, every kind of imaginable kink. Blaine saw a few that were of interest and even began to fill out a profile on one before he decided that he wasn't ready. It was a start, and for now, he just needed to trust that the rest would come after.

He decided to focus on his upcoming performance instead after that. He had been working hard on a collaboration album with kids from the second and third years of the performing program. It was a fundraising effort to support the alumni scholarship fund, and he had been honored to be chosen as one of the featured vocalists. They had put in long hours in the student studio, working with other classmates who were acting as the producers, instrumentalists and sound engineers. After spending most of September working on it, it was finally going to be released in time for Homecoming in October.

Of course, being NYADA, they didn't have a sports game to support for Homecoming. Instead, the school organized an arts festival that drew alumni from all across the world back to the city. This year's event was being headlined with the album release party, and Blaine was slated to close out the concert. All of his friends were set to come to see him, and he had been working on the song for hours on end. He felt ready when the big day finally came and wasn't even a little nervous when he finally took the stage.

"What's up, New York?" he called out to the surprisingly big crowd as he took his place behind the microphone. He carefully slung the acoustic guitar over his neck, mindful of the strap as he went to work adjusting the strings. "I hope you all have enjoyed the music we have performed for you here tonight. All of the songs you have heard here can be found on the album we're here supporting. We hope that you will find it in your heart to support the scholarship fund by buying one - or buying a dozen."

The crowd applauded loudly as Blaine beamed down at them. His eyes settled on his roommates a few rows back. Brittany and Puck were standing by each other, talking quietly, while Sam and Rachel had their arms slung around one another so they could watch their mutual best friend.

"This last song is one that has come to mean a lot to me recently. You see, I've been going through a lot of changes. Some of them have been pretty amazing and some of them have been not so great," he admitted. "For a long time now, I haven't been sure where my life was going. I'm still not quite sure. What I do know, though, is that all these old demons that I've been carrying around with me are dying tonight, right here on this stage, I'm leaving them behind. So I guess this song is about that. I hope you enjoy."

"It's okay. This is just the end. Don't be afraid, this is where it begins," he sang into the microphone, his fingers easily finding the rhythm on his guitar. "Everything here had to fall apart, but in the ruins of a broken heart..."

Blaine grinned down at his friends. He wasn't anywhere near being fixed, but they had been right. It was time for him to figure out a way to move forward. "I found peace like a river to attend my soul and hope running over when I let go. I found joy that was hidden for all these years and love overflowing to wash over everything. I found it here at the end of me."

He let the song become his baptism, leaving behind all the cynicism and depression that had come to characterize him. Even when he had pretended to be happy, he had held on those old emotions for far too long. They had lingered in his heart, overstayed their welcome. With each lyric and measure of melody, he was letting it go a little more.

"It's alright, we're not alone. We don't have to fight the very things that might lead us back home. Every wound here is a place to start."

He moved his hands away from the guitar and started to clap along to the beat. It wasn't long before everyone else followed, giving him the backtracking to finish his song a cappella. "The end of me is not the enemy. It's where mercy gets the better part of me. The end of me is not the enemy. It's where love was always leading me."

His roommates insisted on taking him for a late dinner at the diner when the event starts to break up, and Blaine was really happy that they were there to see him tonight. It was his way of explaining things he was still too afraid to say, words he wasn't sure he could ever tell Puck or make Sam understand or get Rachel to hear without wanting to interfere. No one seemed to need to talk about it. They just knew that while it make a little time, their old Blaine was starting to come back.

"So I might be ready to think about dating again. I don't think I could handle anything serious, but maybe something casual to get my feet wet," Blaine told Rachel the next morning as they drank coffee on their way to school. She looked over at him giddily, clapping her hands. "I guess I actually have you to thank for that. If it hadn't been for your little speech about Finn last week, I might have never had the nerve. But watching you with Puck, I don't know, you're like really happy."

"I am," she said genuinely. "And we haven't even gone out yet! I just know that I'm excited to be around him, you deserve to feel like that about someone, Blaine! I want you to get these butterflies."

"Ah, butterflies," Blaine mused. It had been awhile. "The best part."

"Totally," she agreed with a wide grin. "And I know just the right guy!"

Blaine laughed and shook his head. "Actually, Rach, I think I know the perfect someone."

* * *

_Author's Note: Lyrics credit to "Tornado" by Little Big Town and "The End of Me" by Jason Gray. Next up is Puck, where we'll get a glimpse at the long overdue look at Puckleberry's first date._


	6. Puck is Pondering

There were moments where Puck still couldn't believe that he had ended up in New York. Logic dictated that he should still be living in his childhood bedroom back in Lima, picking up a spare shift here and there at Sheets 'N Things to supplement his alcohol habit and pay for the occasional date down at the local dive bar where he would take underage cheerleaders for a quick, cheap thrill. Instead, he lived with four of his favorite people on the planet in a ridiculously nice loft in the heart of the city he could have only dreamed about two years ago. He would say that he didn't know how he ended up there but he did. It was all his mother and Rachel.

A lot had happened to Puck over the past five years, but nothing, not even giving up Beth, could have prepared him for what life would throw at him last year. Watching his mother - his incredibly strong, incredibly demanding, incredibly important mother - suffer through cancer had nearly broken him. There were too many long hours in the hospital, nights spent at her bedside just waiting for her to wake up and ask him for something. He gladly gave her everything she asked for, even going back to school when it felt like the least important thing he could do.

He had been there for every appointment, keeping a trusty notebook in his back pocket to take notes whenever the doctors went over stuff. Puck had picked up the slack with his sister, stepping in at parents' nights and showing up for her soccer games and helping her with her math homework. The three of them had always been a little unit, but his mother's battle with cancer had really cemented that. The amazing thing is that he had never once even thought about complaining. He wore the responsibility like a badge of his honor. This was his family and he would take care of them gladly, being the man that his father never had the courage to be. If Quinn could have only seen him then, he really believed she might have thought he could have actually helped her raise Beth after all.

But that wasn't what happened, and in the end, he was glad that life had turned out the way that it had. Without all of that, none of his friends would have ended up where they did, and he definitely wouldn't have found himself in the plush pad he shared with Sam, Brittany, Blaine and Rachel. He was glad to have Brittany around because she was pretty much his best friend and Sam was like his boy or whatever. Blaine was pretty good at dealing with all of Rachel's girly crap, and the Jewish girl in question was just pretty much perfect.

It was this perfection that had been plaguing him ever since the night in the park when they decided that they finally just needed to go out. It had been awhile since he had taken a girl on a proper date, maybe since Lauren, and she hadn't really been out with a decent guy since she ended things with Finn two years ago. He knew that a girl like Rachel had high expectations, and for the first time in his life, he really wanted to live up to them. It was just a little harder than he thought.

It all came down to a question of timing really. Every time they tried to schedule anything, one or the other's schedule would inevitably come crashing down around their feet. Rachel's rehearsal had run late the first time, causing her to tearfully apologize in a whispered voice while she hid backstage from her Svengali of a director. He had been the one to delay it the next time when a bout of flu around the bar had left him with a pair of double shifts one weekend. They'd both been too tired the next time and had fallen asleep on the couch before they could even finish figuring out what they wanted to do. She had finally insisted the night of Blaine's little epiphany that they were going to go out the next weekend. Puck just hoped that the hands of fate would finally allow them to see this little experiment in dating through.

Of course, he didn't really have time to plan the date out right now though. School was kind of kicking his ass, and he had promised his mother that he would make it his priority. He was just trying to find his composition notebook so that he could work on the lyrics to a piece he had been doing for a songwriting class when the aforementioned mother decided to make an appearance all the way from Lima. He recognized the ringtone immediately, and while the old Puck would have grumbled and ignored it, the man who had almost lost his mother last year answered it on the second ring.

"Hey, Ma," he said into the phone. He could hear her soft exhale in his ear, and he could just imagine her sitting at the old table in their kitchen. "What's going on?"

"Just calling to check on my boy," she replied. He wondered if her hair had grown out anymore since he had been home in August. It was just starting to get long enough then that she could get it trimmed with actual scissors. It had been a landmark day in the Puckerman household. "How are you doing? How's school?"

Puck smiled. She was a Jewish mother through and through. "Everything's good here, Ma," he told her. "How are you? How's the squirt?"

"We're good. Your sister has been busy with school, but her grades are great. She'll probably call you later this week to tell you about the art fair herself." He could hear the proud happiness in her voice. "Being back at work is nice. Thank you for the money you sent last week, by the way."

"It's the least I can do," he assured her and it really was. He didn't send much but sent whatever he could after he deducted his monthly expenses. It helped pay for his sister's activities and allowed his mother to not have to work a second job. "Work's been busy, so the tips have been pretty generous. I'll probably send a little more next month so you can make sure that we get a big turkey for Thanksgiving. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm actually looking forward to coming back to Lima to see you."

"Oh, Noah," she replied fondly, and Puck suddenly really missed his mother. "Tell me about everyone else. How are all the kids?"

"Britt's been kicking ass at the whole dancing thing. We saw her a few weeks ago, and Ma, she's really good," he told her proudly. "And Sam is working at the coffeeshop where I do those open mic nights. I haven't gotten to see him but everyone else says he's doing good. Blaine just did this NYADA album, which is apparently a big deal. And Rach, well, you know she's killing it."

He knew that mentioning Rachel Berry was like lighting a match under his very eager-for-Jewish-grandbabies mother, but he kind of actually wanted her to know about that whole situation. "Speaking of Rachel, we are sort of, maybe, going to go out or whatever."

"Eloquent, son," she laughed. "So you and Rachel Berry, huh? That's nice, Noah. You sound happy."

"I am, Ma," he acknowledged. "I'm actually really happy, but I still miss you and the squirt."

"We miss you, too, Noah," she retorted sentimentally. "We miss you too."

After Puck had hung up with his mother, he decided to forego his homework and pulled out his trusty acoustic guitar instead. He had an hour to kill before he had to head down to the bar, and like so many times after he talked to his mother these days, he felt the need to relive one of those rare really good days from his childhood. This particular song took him back to a lakeside picnic when it was just him and his mother, the two of them eating peanut butter sandwiches while listening to old classic rock out of an old radio.

"Mama told me when I was young, come sit down beside me, my only son. And listen closely to what I say, and if you do this, it will help you some sunny day," he sang, closing his eyes to get lost in the memory. He could almost smell the Ohio air. "It will help you some sunny day. Take your time, don't live too fast. Troubles will come and they will pass."

His fingers caressed the strings lovingly. This was Puck at his most basic. "Go find a woman and you'll find love. And don't forget, son, there is someone up above," he wailed, his voice echoing from his place on the couch. "And be a simple kind of man. Be something you love and understand. Be a simple kind of man. Won't you do this for me, son, if you can?"

It sounded like a request his ma would make. She had always just wanted him to be a good Jewish boy with a bright future. Now, he finally felt like maybe he was. "Forget your lust for the rich man's gold. All that you need is in your soul, and you can do this if you try. All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied."

He rested his guitar against his knee as he repeated the chorus. He suddenly couldn't wait for November to come because he knew he was now going to go home and sing this song to his ma. "Boy, don't you worry. You'll find yourself," he sang, his voice now softer. "Follow your heart and nothing else. You can do this if you try. All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied."

"Damn." Puck looked up suddenly at the person standing in the doorway and smiled. Brittany rarely cursed, but the bright smile on her face as she leaped onto the other end of the living room couch told him that he had sounded good and that she was proud. "You sounded really good. Who was that?"

"Skynyrd, just something that reminds me of Ma."

Brittany smiled thoughtfully and nodded without asking of the questions he knew she really wanted to ask. Instead, she took his guitar and sat it on the coffee table. "You are supposed to be at work in a few minutes, and I have come along to walk you there. We need to talk."

"We do?" he asked as he climbed off the sofa. She stayed there while he disappeared behind the partition that separated his little nook from the rest of the living room. "What do we need to talk about, Brit?"

"Your date with Rachel, duh," she deadpanned, and he could almost hear her roll her eyes from the other side of the wall. Puck yanked off his shirt and shucked it in the corner before pulling out a black tee from the stack of folded laundry that never seemed to get put away. "She told Blaine who told Sam who told me that you still haven't gone out yet. Luckily for you, I am going to help you plan it."

Puck collapsed back on the couch next to her so he could put on his favorite dusty Converse. "That's actually a really awesome offer, Brit, because I truthfully don't have a fuckin' clue to do with Rach," he admitted. "I know that I want to take her somewhere nice, do the whole old New York thing. I just don't know all the places or whatever. Do you think you can help me wtih that?"

"We'll have the whole thing planned before the dinner rush hits the bar," she promised, holding up her phone for emphasis. "You just tell me what you're looking for and I'll help you find it. I mean, I planned Lord Tubbington's entire vacation to Shreveport, and you know how much he loved it."

He didn't question her reference to a cat vacation when he thanked her. There were some things about Brit that were better left untouched.

Three days later and true to her word, Brit had helped Puck put together a pretty epic New York excursion that would pretty much classify him as a dating badass. Still, as he got ready in the bathroom that he shared with Brittany and Sam, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He knew that Rachel was getting ready on the other side of the loft with Brit and Blaine, and Sam had decided to hangout and talk to him because he was bored. Puck wasn't really listening to him as he recapped some sci-fi movie he had caught last night on TV, but the background noise helped distract him momentarily anyhow.

"So where are you taking Rachel anyhow?"

"Your girl's a fuckin' genius," Puck grinned at Sam. "She helped me plan the entire thing. I told her that I wanted to take Berry to a really nice restaurant, and she helped me find this place that Zagat raves about called Blossom. It's that vegan shit that Rach loves and I'll probably be starving afterward, but I think she'll appreciate the effort."

"Sounds appetizing."

"Hardly, but my girl's hot so it's worth it," Puck shrugged with a cocky smirk. "And then Brit recommended this club with a speakeasy vibe when I told her that I wanted to take her out dancing. It's this place over on West 46th called Swing 46, totally up Rachel's alley."

"Dinner and dancing, huh?" Sam asked rhetorically. "How un-Puck."

"That's because Rachel wants to go out with Noah and not Puck," he pointed out knowingly. Even he was a little caught offguard about how mature it sounded. "And then I figured I'd take her to 21 for a nightcap. She used to talk about the place all the time whenever she talked about New York. That one I thought of all on my own!"

"Thought of what on your own?" Blaine asked as he came into the bathroom with a little knock.

"Nothing, man, whatever," Puck brushed him off. "What's up?"

"She's finally ready whenever you are."

He didn't even wait for further permission when he basically rushed out into the living room. His girl looked epic standing there, her tight little body in impossibly tall heels and a dangerously short plum dress. Her eyes were all smoky and her long hair did that wild thing where it looked perfectly tossled with little ringlets at the end. She looked all sexified but still wore that certain shadow of an innocent smile that reminded him that she was still Rachel Berry.

"Rach, damn," he breathed out as he crossed the room. "You look...incredible."

"Noah Puckerman is speechless?" she teased softly. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"I'd argue with you but I can't, not with you looking like that," he replied humbly. "We have reservations soon, you ready to head out?"

"I'd be delighted," she agreed before tucking her arm in his elbow and heading out into the night, leaving three grinning roommates behind. Her hand felt so tiny against his skin, and Puck felt like it was sophomore year all over again.

Three hours later, Puck's stomach was rumbling right on cue but Rachel was looking up at him all adoringly as they made their way through the club. Swing dancers filled the floor, doing moves that Puck had only seen in movies but was fairly sure that girls like Rachel and Brittany could easily pull off. He snagged them a booth in the corner where they could watch most of the action and she could rest her feet for a few minutes she had been the one to stubbornly insist that they walk from the subway stop. Once her eyes were shining with want two martinis later, he decided that it was finally time to get her out on the dance floor.

He didn't even bother to ask for permission as he took her hand and led her to the middle of the room. There were people moving around them, swirling in elaborate circles as they showed off their fancy footwork. Puck might not have been a swing expert but he had always managed to pull off a few moves that made him an okay dancer. She didn't seem to mind at all as she swayed and dipped in front of him.

"You look so good," he told her lowly, bracketing her hips with his hands so that he could pull her close to him. He heard her giggle a little as she buried her face in his shoulder for a moment before pulling back to look up at him. "I'm having a great time with you, Rach."

"Me too," she breathed. "You've amazing tonight, Noah."

Puck didn't answer back as the song transitioned into a ballad. It was a swing interpretation of some Shakira song he had heard on repeat when Santana was going through that phase in middle school. Rachel looked up at him beneath her dark lashes as he once again pulled her flush against his sturdy frame, wrapping his arms around her waist so that there was no distance left between them. He bent his head just slightly so that he could sing into her ear.

"You're a song written by the hands of God. Don't get me wrong 'cause this might sound to you a bit odd," he sang to her, looking right into her eyes. She was definitely heaven-sent. "But you own the place where all my thoughts go hiding. Right under your clothes is where I find them."

"Underneath your clothes, there's an endless story," she answered him in song. "There's the man I chose, there's my territory, and all the things I deserve for being such a good girl, honey."

The electricity between them sizzled in the ear, and Puck knew it was going to take everything he had not to ravish her at the end of the night. "Cause of you, I forgot the smart ways to lie. Because of you, I'm running out of reasons to cry," he went on. Damn, he wanted her bad. "When the friends are gone, when the party's over, we will still belong to each other."

She pressed her hand to the back of his neck, her fingers playing with the hairs at the nape. Puck involuntarily shivered under the expert caresses. "Underneath your clothes, there's an endless story. There's the man I chose, there's my territory, and all the things I deserve for being such a good girl honey."

"I love you more than all that's on the planet. Movin', talkin', walkin', breathin," he sang back to her. "You know it's true. Oh, baby, it's so funny, almost don't believe it."

"As every voice is hangin' from the silence, lamps are hangin' from the ceiling," she went on, her hips pressed against him. "Like a lady died to her manners, I'm tied up to this feeling."

"Underneath your clothes, there's an endless story," he sang, looking down at her as she sang, "There's the man I chose, there's my territory." They leaned into each other, their lips barely touching as they ad libbed the last line together. "And all the things I deserve for being so good, honey."

Later, after Puck had taken her for drinks and kissed her on the sidewalk in front of their building (and outside their front door and just inside her bedroom door), Puck laid on his back in his little corner of the living room. He folded his hands behind his head as he stared out at the full moon shining through the window. He felt like he could reach out and grab it now, like maybe he could finally have everything he'd ever dreamt of. And when Rachel sneaked into the living room in one of the old McKinley shirts of his she had stolen somewhere along the way and curled up beside him beneath the covers so they could sleep ("I'm serious, Noah, we're just sleeping!"), he decided that - if even for tonight - he did have it all.

* * *

_Author's Note: Lyrics credit to "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Underneath Your Clothes by Shakira._


	7. Sam is Saved

Fall was in full effect in New York, and Sam couldn't wait for Halloween. With just a week away until one of his favorite holidays of the year, he was deep in preparation mode. He had already turned their loft into a haunted palace, decorating every nook and cranny with skeletons, cobwebs, witches' hats and mummies. Rachel hated it but Brittany's face lit up every time she came across a rubber spider or a lit pumpkin she hadn't noticed before. Her childlike wonder reminded him of how much fun his parents had made the day when he was a kid. It was nice to have a little of that in the city. It could be a scary place on its own, but this made it the good kind of scary.

It actually seemed like everyone was getting into the spirit of the impending holiday. Despite her hatred for all the scary decorations in the loft, even Rachel had been trying to figure out the perfect couples costume for her first Halloween as Puck's official girlfriend. Their bartender roommate seemed a little less enthusiastic about trying to figure out what they'd be, especially since Blaine had already come up with a pretty awesome trio of costumes he had proposed for the guys of the loft. Even he had to admit the hobbit had come up with something totally badass, and he was jealous that Sam and Blaine were going to get to pull it off without him.

"C'mon, babe, just let me do what the guys are doing," he begged one day when all of them were just hanging out in the living room. Rachel didn't even look up from the fashion magazine she was reading as she easily rejected his request. Sam chuckled from his place next to Brittany. "Can it, Evan."

"What are the guys doing?" Brittany asked.

"Samuel and Blaine are going to dress up as a certain trio from pop culture history, and they are trying to convince Noah to abandon me on our first Halloween as a pair," Rachel said, shooting a dirty look at her best friend and then over at Sam. "I'm honestly surprised that Noah even thought to consult me."

"Better than you bitching at me later about it."

Brittany looked up at Sam with those innocent, wide eyes, and he knew that he was in trouble. "You are dressing up with Blaine?" she asked. "But I had something all planned, Sammy. I wanted us to be like peas and carrots because remember when you used to quote Forrest Gump to me in high school?" He smiled and nodded at the memory of their first kiss. "Well, it was on TV the other day and I was Skyping with Lord Tubbington and I just thought you'd make a really cute carrot."

Sam hated to tell his girlfriend, but the last thing he wanted to do was dress up as an orange vegetable. "But Blaine and me have been working so hard, Brit," he argued softly. "We're going to be the Three Stooges. Well, we'll have to be the Two Stooges since someone won't let Puck have fun with us."

"Samuel!" Rachel warned lowly, glaring at him over the glossy page of her magazine. "I cannot believe you didn't even consult with Brittany."

"I'm sorry, Brit, I didn't think it was that big of a deal," Sam shrugged. It really shouldn't be. They had never done the couples' costume thing before. Then again, this was the first Halloween since he had known her that didn't include Santana, and the two of them had always dressed up together. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "But since Puck can't do this maybe you could be Curly. You'd be pretty hot bald. What do you say, Blaine?"

"Yeah, Brit, you'd be perfect!" he said enthusiastically, and Sam knew it was for his benefit. It was difficult some times balancing the two of them because one or the other could easily feel like the third wheel at any given moment. "We'll even leave this one at home and go out shopping to find you the perfect outfit."

Brittany pulled her knees up to her chin and considered Blaine's offer for a minute. "We could do that," she decided with a small smile in Blaine's direction. She then turned her gaze on her boyfriend. "I'm still mad at you."

"Brit..."

She shook her head dismissively before pulling her headphones on to drown him out. Brittany rarely ever got angry with him, but when she did, it always made Sam feel terrible. Disappointing her was the emotional equivalent of kicking a puppy, and a sad Brittany was pretty much the worst thing he could imagine. He tried to rub her shoulder reassuringly but she only pulled away. It was going to be a long night.

The stress of Brittany's anger was compounded by an email that came in a few hours later. Sam couldn't believe that he was back here again, basically failing some general education requirement that should have been a breeze for him. It was like high school all over again before they figured out that he was dyslexic. He'd thought that he had a pretty good handle on it, but when the grade came back on his history midterm, Sam knew that he had to figure out something quickly.

"I could tutor you," Blaine offered when Sam came out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. His best friend was hunched over the stove making some vegetable stir fry that he and Rachel had been raving about all week. "I am pretty good at history. It's just memorization."

Sam frowned at his friend. "I know, but when I try to picture the words in my head, they just get all jumbled. I have to pull the grade up to maintain my average," he worried. Blaine shot him a sympathetic look, but Sam knew that he couldn't fully understand the pressure Sam was under. Grades had always come easily to him, he was just naturally brilliant when it came to that kind of stuff. Sam, on the other hand, had to try really hard to just be decent. He was awesome when it came to the music stuff, but even the New School program required some general education. "If I don't get it back up, my scholarship could be in jeopardy."

"Just let me help, Sam," Blaine tried again. "You know I tutored Finn in high school."

The picture of his girlfriend's crumpled face from earlier that night suddenly flashed in his face and Sam had to shake his head. "I actually think I am going to ask Brit for help on this one," he decided aloud. She might not seem like the natural choice to some, but Sam knew that she would be a good fit. "She has this really good way at getting me to focus. Besides, I think that she needs to know that I need her right now."

"About earlier, I'm sorry."

"Dude, it's my fault, not yours. You couldn't have possibly known. I should have just thought about it before," Sam told him. "It's the first time she's doing this without Santana. She doesn't say much about that, but I know it's hard on her. She's good most of the time but she has moments where I know she misses her. Puck and I usually fill in the blanks, but I think we both dropped the ball with this one."

"Maybe you three should do the Three Stooges," Blaine suggested. "I'm sure Rachel would be happy to dress up with me. I'm guessing whatever costume she has picked out for Puck is more appropriate for me anyhow."

Sam shook his head. "No, dude, we have to do this," he replied urgently. "Brit needs to know that there is room for both of you in my life. I don't think she's jealous or anything. I just think she is feeling a little left out."

"I get it."

He knew that Blaine did. There were times when they'd be watching a movie and the girls would be all snuggled up with their boyfriends, and Sam figured it must be a little lonely to be the odd man out. "Hey, man, you know you're my best friend, right?"

"Yes, I know," Blaine laughed. "Just like Brit knows that you love her. We're not jealous of each other, Sam. You do a good job watching out for both of us. I'm adequately placated for now. Why don't you go check on that girlfriend of yours?"

"Thanks, dude," Sam said as he bumped his fist to Blaine's. He left his friend to finish his cooking and returned to his bedroom to sit down on the bed next to Brittany. She still didn't look at him as she played some game on her phone. He finally pried the device carefully from her hands and placed it on the table next to her side of the bed. "Can I ask you for something?"

Brittany looked up at him with the tiniest bit of sadness still shining in her eyes. Sam tipped her chin gently with his palm and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you about stuff earlier. I wasn't thinking," he apologized. "And I know why you're sad and we don't have to talk about it unless you want to. I just want you to know that I would never try to leave you out of something. You're my girl, Brit, my most important person."

She finally smiled at him then, tucking her face in the crook of his neck so that she could hug him. "Thanks for that," she said softly. "And if the offer still stands, I'd love to be the Curly to your Larry and Blaine's Moe."

"Good," he said happily before kissing the tip of her nose. "But I have something else to ask you? I didn't do very well on my history test and you're like really good at memorizing stuff and I was hoping that you could help me study for my makeup exam. The professor said I could do it again after I explained what was going on."

"Oh, I know just the thing!" she clapped happily as she rummaged around on the pile of things she kept next to her side of the bed. She pulled out a notebook and box of brightly colored markers from a tote bag. "One of the things that helps me remember stuff is to draw pictures. You see, instead of reading the words, I draw what they represent so that I can turn them into images in my head. Does that make sense?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're brilliant?"

"Not today," she grinned. He watched her doodle a picture of a very fat cat he assumed to be her prized pet. "Why'd you ask me for help instead of Blaine or Rachel?"

"Because you're the smartest person I know," he answered her honestly. Brittany might not have been a conventional genius, but she did have those amazing test results from the SAT that proved it. "You're really awesome with people. You just understand them in ways that most others don't. Most importantly, you get me."

"Duh, Sammy."

He laughed as he pulled her into his lap. She giggled as he tickled her sides, but their little tussle in the sheets quickly turned more heated as he found himself flipping her onto her back and leaning over her. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as he gazed down at her lovingly. "So beautiful," he murmured before capturing her lips fully with his. "All mine."

"Always," she vowed solemnly. That was his girl.

Later, after they were both sated and she was lounging sleepily beneath the sheets, he pulled out his guitar from beneath the bed and propped it up on his lap. "I'm not always good with words, Brit, but I hope you know how much I love you," he said softly as he strummed lazily. "I heard this song the other day and it reminded me so much of you. Do you want to hear it?" She nodded as she propped her chin up on her palm.

"I'm a long gone Waylon song on vinyl. I'm a backrow sinner at a tent revival. She believes in me like she believes her bible, loves me like Jesus does," he sang thickly. "I'm a lead foot leaning on a suped up Chevy. I'm a good old boy drinking whiskey and rye on the levee. But she carries me when my sins make me heavy and loves me like Jesus does."

He closed his eyes, trying hard to put everything he'd ever felt for her into the lyrics of the song. "All the crazy in my dreams,both my broken wings, every single piece of everything I am," he wailed. "Yeah, she knows the man I ain't. She forgives me when I can't and the devil, man, no, he don't stand a chance. 'Cause she loves me like Jesus does."

"Always thought she'd give up on me one day, wash her hands of me, leaving me staring down some runway," he continued, his eyes opening to find hers. She shook her head, silently promising she'd never leave him. "Yeah, I thank God each night and twice on Sunday that she loves me like Jesus does."

Once he had finished the song, Brittany hooked her hand around his neck and brought his mouth to hers again. "You know I'd never give up on you, right?"

"Yeah, Britt," he smiled at her. "I don't always know a lot, but that much I do know."

The rest of the week flew by, and by the time Halloween rolled around, Sam was ready to celebrate. Thanks to Brittany's genius study technique he had been able to memorize a ton of information about the Civil War and pull off a B on the makeup exam. They had celebrated by going shopping with Blaine for costume supplies. Sam had ended up being the one feeling like the odd man out this time when the two of them had gotten wrapped up in trying on wigs. He couldn't even find it in himself to care when he saw how much fun they were having. Those two, they were his people.

"Noah, please just put on the costume."

Brittany giggled as Rachel held out the package of tights toward Puck the evening of Halloween. They were all getting ready for a big party at Puck's bar, and Rachel had decided that the two of them would make a perfect Romeo and Juliet. Sam had kissed Brittany for a good ten minutes when she had announced matter-of-factly that she would never ask her boyfriend to wear tightly unless it came with a superhero cape and weapon.

"I'm not wearing those fuckin' tights, Rach, forget it."

"But Noah!"

"Did she just stomp her foot?" Sam whispered to Brittany. His girlfriend stifled another giggle as she nodded her head, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "It's like our own teen soap opera with these two."

"He's totally the Pacey to her Joey," she decided. She'd been watching the old show on Netflix with Rachel on the nights when Sam gave guitar lessons. He never got the references, but both Rachel and Brittany had lectured him for a half-hour when he had called the show stupid. "For you, I guess that'd be like saying he's the wanna be bad guy who's really a good guy to her good girl next door."

"Thanks for the comic translation," he replied before directing his attention to where Puck had crossed his arms in front of his chest, still refusing to put on the tights. "Dude, just put them on. You know you're gonna eventually, and it'll save all of us from one of Rachel's tantrums if you just give in."

"Excuse me? Tantrum?"

"Babe," Puck said, reaching out to touch her elbow. "C'mon."

"Fine," she said tightly, throwing the tights at Puck and stomping out of the living room toward her bedroom.

"Aren't you going after her?"

"Are you kidding me?" Brittany and Puck said at the same time. Sam swore that the two of them could read the other's mind some times.

They eventually managed to get Rachel to come out of her room and agree that Puck didn't have to wear the tights as long as he wore the ridiculous hat with the feather in it. Blaine, Sam and Brittany looked great in their costume, and people stopped them on the street to take their picture every few minutes on the walk to the bar. The place was crawling with people in all kinds of costume by the time the group slipped through the private entrance.

"I wanna sing tonight!" Brittany hollered over the music once they had found their way to the reserved booth that had been saved for them in the corner. "We should sing something. You and Blaine and me!"

"Sure, Brit, what do you want to sing?" Blaine asked. "Do you have something in mind?"

"Totally," she grinned before leaning over to whisper it into his ear. Sam watched his friend's face light up at her suggestion. "Perfect, right?"

"They won't know what hit 'em!" he agreed. "Let's go put our names in."

Fifteen minutes later, Sam followed his best friend and his girlfriend still without knowing what they were about to perform. However, as soon as the opening riff came blaring into the bar, he couldn't help but pump his first in celebration.

"See me ride out of the sunset on your colored TV screen. Out for all that I can get, if you know what I mean," Blaine growled into the microphone, his eyes dark and wild. He stomped his foot to the rock rhythm while Brittany danced suggestively around him. "Women to the left of me, women to the run. Ain't got no gun, got no knife. Don't you start no fight."

"Cause I'm TNT, I'm dynamite! TNT and I'll win the fight," Brittany wailed as she stepped in front of Blaine. She wrapped her leg around his hip and dipped back, him slowly drawing her until she was standing back up. If he wasn't gay and she wasn't hot, Sam would have definitely been jealous. "TNT, I'm a power load. TNT, watch me explode."

Sam snagged the microphone from her before taking over the lead. "Im dirty, mean and mighty unclean. Im a wanted man, public enemy number one, understand," he sang loudly, his voice getting this raspy tone that he didn't usually have to it. He turned and set his predatory sights on Brittany. She writhed in front of him, going to wrap herself around his back. "So lock up your daughter and lock up your wife. Lock up your back door and run for your life. The man is back in town so don't you mess around with..."

"TNT!" Blaine and Brittany sang together, jumping up and down as they stared at each other. Sam stood to Brittany's right, pumping his first in time. "I'm dynamite. TNT and I'll win the fight." He added his voice to the chorus to bring it up to a trio. "TNT and I'm a power load. TNT, watch me explode!"

The bar erupted into applause when they finished the song, Sam slinging his arm around Blaine's shoulder and hugging to Brittany to his side. They took a slight bow before abandoning the stage in favor of the booth where Puck and Rachel were still waiting. They were treated to a little round of applause from their two other roommates when they sat down, Blaine stealing Rachel's water to take a long gulp.

"That was so fun!" Rachel beamed, patting her best friend on the shoulder.

"Yeah, Brit, you were hot," Puck praised her. "You three seriously kicked that song's ass."

The five of them hung out until nearly midnight before Puck and Rachel decided that they wanted to take a walk around the neighborhood. Blaine sat with them a little while longer before he said that he was going to head over to a party at a gay bar that one of his friends at school had invited him to. He left with a kiss on Brittany's cheek and a promise to text if he wasn't coming home. Once he was alone with Brittany, Sam pulled his girlfriend into his lap and kissed her neck.

"I hope he has fun tonight."

"Hmm?" he asked distractedly, tracing little patterns on her thigh with his fingertips while he nipped at the soft skin behind her right ear. "Who?"

"Blaine, I want him to be happy, and I don't think he really is."

Sam knew she was probably right, but he really didn't want to think about his best friend right now. In fact, he didn't really want to think about anything other than the girl in his arms. "What do you say we get out of here so we can take advantage of our very empty loft?"

They were home and out of their costumes within twenty minutes. "You can be as loud as you want," he teased her before they started to make love. It was faster and more urgent than usual, but he didn't mind. Sometimes they both needed it like that, and she seemed pretty into it if her volume was any indication.

Once they were both spent and wrapped in each other, Sam couldn't help but muse once again just how pretty his girlfriend was. "Happy November, Brit," he said as the church bells chimed down the street. Their anniversary was coming up in a few weeks, and if Sam had his way, November was going to be a very good month.

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "She Loves Me Like Jesus" by Eric Church and "TNT" by AC/DC._


	8. Blaine is Benevolent

"I think I am going to propose to Brit."

Blaine looked up from his ham and cheese frittata and turned his careful gaze on Sam. His blonde best friend was hanging upside down on the sofa, a bowl of Cheerios resting on his washboard stomach. His position didn't really surprise Blaine, but the statement that had just come out of his mouth did.

"Sam, you're only 19. Brit's only 20. You guys are so young," Blaine pointed out. It was obvious, but sometimes Sam needed someone to point out the obvious to him. "Do you really think you guys are ready to get engaged? You would be married. You'd have to find somewhere to live and a way to support yourselves other than just giving lessons."

Sam was silent as he shoveled a bite of cereal into his mouth. Blaine found the quiet maddening. He didn't mean to judge him, but it really was a bad idea. They weren't ready. They still had two years of school left after this one, and Brittany's parents still paid all of her bills. He loved both of them dearly, but he couldn't imagine those two taking care of themselves alone. He still had to chop Brit's vegetables for her because her mother had given them strict instructions not to let her use a sharp knife.

"I sort of thought you would just support me."

"Oh, Sam," Blaine exhaled fondly. "Of course I do, you're my best friend. If this is really what you want and think she wants, you know that I'll support you. I just want you to think it through before you ask her. I'm not sure that you really understand what you could be getting yourself into with marriage."

"I know that I love Brittany and that I have wanted to spend the rest of my life with her since she became my Mayan starwife senior year of high school. She's my soulmate, Blaine, so things just have to work out," Sam insisted confidently. Blaine doesn't have the heart to tell him that he has a milk mustache. "And I would really love it if you could just support me because even if you don't believe that it's the right thing, I know that you believe in me and that you believe in the love I have for Brittany."

Blaine smiled as he speared a bite of egg. Sam did have that part right. He might not have been conventionally the most intelligent guy, Sam was really great with people. Like Brittany, he had the uncanny ability of just seeing them. "I am happy for you then. When do you think you'll do it?"

"I was thinking on our anniversary," he revealed. "I was hoping you'd go ring shopping with me in a couple weeks. I was going to ask Puck but he can't keep his mouth shut and I don't know, I just think that's the sort of thing you ask your best friend to do."

"I'd be honored," Blaine pledged proudly. "I will go with you on one condition. I was hoping that you would help me set up a dating profile."

Sam shot up in his seat. "Yeah?"

"You guys are all so coupled up and happy, and on Halloween, I realized that I wanted to find that for myself," he revealed. "And then when I went to that party and a guy actually flirted with me, I didn't feel guilty! It was the first time since I broke up with Kurt that I haven't felt like I was cheating on him, Sam. I think I'm ready to get back out there. There are a few guys I'm interested in, but I don't want to test stuff with them because I still would have to see them. If I find someone online, I don't know, I think I could get away with never seeing them again."

"Makes sense," Sam shrugged. "Are you sure you don't want Rach to help you with this? She'd probably be better at it."

"Probably, but she would also make it all about her."

Sam promised to help Blaine work on his profile after class that night. They would have the apartment to themselves since Puck was working, and the girls had signed up for some fitness class together at the Y down the street. Blaine managed to get through his afternoon classes without obsessing too much. He spent the hour he had free between his last class and his private vocal lessons scouring Facebook to check on their friends. He decided that he really needed to stay off the social networking site when he saw another photograph of Kurt with his boyfriend. He would get to see them together live and in person next week.

Brittany was on the couch when Blaine got home after his lessons. "I thought you were going out with Rach tonight," he said to the blonde as he hung up his favorite Burberry peacoat next to the front door. "She said you had a dance class or something."

"It's at seven," she answered as she pulled an orange slice out of the bowl resting next to her. "Sam just ran out to grab some coffee. We're out and he said you'd probably want some tonight. He said you guys were going to work on something."

"He didn't tell you?" Blaine asked with surprise evident in his voice. He was almost relieved when Brittany shook her head. It wasn't that he wanted to leave her out, he just was just glad to know that Sam could still keep a secret. "He's going to help me set up my online dating profile. I want to go on a test date."

"Oh, Blaine Warbler, that's fantastic!" she said excitedly, jumping off the sofa to give him a hug. He squeezed her tightly, appreciating her ethusiastic support. "Do you want a lady's touch? Sam's great and all, but he's a guy. He's not all sensitive like us."

Blaine thought about rejecting her offer but thought twice of it. "That'd actually be really great, Brit," he replied. She grinned as she pulled her laptop open and sat it on the coffee table in front of the couch. He fell onto the cushion next her and told her the name of the website he had decided on. "Is it dumb that I'm kind of nervous?"

Brittany bit her bottom lip and turned to look at him square in the eye. "You deserve better than Kurt," she said seriously. "No one has told you that, have they? But you do. If he wanted to be here, he'd be here. It's hard to hear that, but it's how I felt about Santana. If she had wanted to really be with me, she wouldn't have broken up with me. It still hurts sometimes because I lost more than just the person I loved most. I lost my best friend. I think it was a little like that for you with Kurt, but then you found Sammy. And thankfully, I found Sammy. He kinda saved both of us, huh?"

He leaned forward and hugged her then. A lot of people had told them that they understood, but this girl finally truly got it. "Thanks for that, Brit," he said sincerely. "Sam is really lucky that he has you."

"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome," she agreed. "Now, if you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be? Oh, I know this one! You're a unicorn!"

Twenty minutes and fifty questions later, Brittany hit save and leaned back against the cushion. "Wow, so what do I do now?" he asked as she closed the lid on the laptop. "I don't know what comes next."

"You wait and then you choose. You're so awesome that a billion guys are gonna want to go out with you. I still think you should have let me use that photo from the calendar though. I mean, have you seen you, Blaine? You're hot!"

"You hitting on my best friend, Brit?"

Brittany giggled as Sam came into the loft, the door slamming behind him. "Of course not, Sammy, I only have eyes for you," she said sweetly. "I was just helping Blaine with his little project. I have to get going though. Rachel will give me a lecture if I'm late."

"Have fun, Brit!" Blaine called as she kissed Sam on the cheek. A few seconds later, she was gone. "It looks like I don't need your help after all."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yup, Brit got me all set up. She told me that allI have to do now is wait and pick."

Blaine was still trying to decide his next step two days later when he came home in the middle of the day after his jazz vocal class was canceled. He was flipping through the mail by the front door when he heard Puck and Rachel talking to each other in low voices. Peering silently around the corner, he almost felt bad for catching them in such an intimate moment. There was nothing sexual about it, but it was a purely private moment where he could see so clearly the pathway his two friends were on.

"Please, Noah, I really want you to come."

Blaine watched Puck bite back the urge to roll his eyes. "Fine, I'll be there, but you owe me big time," he told her as she threw her arms around him in an eager hug. Puck's eyes fell shut as he returned the embrace, his fingers lazily trailing up and down the back of her black sweater. "Seriously, you owe me, and you know I will make you pay."

Rachel blinked up at him sweetly. "Thank you, Noah."

"You're so fuckin' cute," he murmured with a smirk, setting his right hand low on her hip and leaning over to kiss her soundly. "I have to get going. I have class in twenty. I'll see you later at the bar, right?"

"Of course," she replied before leaning up to kiss him again.

Blaine pretended that he was just coming into the apartment when Puck rounded the corner. The two exchanged casual pleasantries before Puck called out his goodbye and left the loft. Blaine slid the correct mail in the respective slots before coming into the kitchen. Rachel was still standing at the counter, a dreamy lovestruck look playing on her beautiful features.

"So you really like him, huh?"

Rachel nodded happily. "I haven't felt like this about anyone ever," she admitted. "Not even Finn. I mean, I loved Finn and all, and don't get me wrong, we're nowhere ready to say it yet, but it's different with Noah. He makes me feel completely okay in my skin, but he also makes me feel so alive."

"He is quite charming and handsome, I suppose," Blaine teased.

"His arms are lovely, aren't they?" she asked with a faraway look in her eyes. "I'm glad I actually ran into you before my modern class. I was going to invite you to dinner with everyone. I know that you know Kurt is going to be in town for my performance, and I was hoping that we could all get together afterward to celebrate. I understand if it's too awkward, but I would really like my two best friends to be there."

It wouldn't be easy, but Blaine could suck it up for two hours. "I'll be there, Rach," he promised. "It might even be nice to see Kurt again, even if he is with someone else. Besides, Brittany helped me set up the dating profile, so that's a start. And I think I am going to ask out that cute guy from my Italian opera class."

"Really?"

Blaine honestly hadn't planned on doing that until now, but Grant was pretty cute and Blaine had caught him flirting with him a few weeks ago when they had been paired up to work through an aria. "I keep talking about how it's time to get out there, and I don't know, seeing you four all coupled up, I want that back. Kurt's happy with this new guy. I can't keep holding out for something that isn't going to happen."

A week later, Blaine had a date set up with Grant for that Saturday night, but he was waiting in the loft with the other guys while Brittany finished getting ready so that they could head over to watch Rachel perform.

"You nervous?" Puck asked before shoveling a handful of Funyuns into his mouth.

"A little," Blaine admitted. "It's not even the guy, it's Kurt."

"I told Rach it would be fuckin' weird," Puck shook his head. "I tried to even talk her out of it in protest. You're our bro, you know, and Kurt left."

"Good lookin' out, dude," Sam said as he bumped his fist against Puck's. "Of course, we're going so I guess that didn't end well."

"She's really good at begging," Blaine said in Puck's defense. "Besides, it might actually be nice to see him. It shouldn't be hard for Rachel to have both of us in her life. She shouldn't have to choose."

"You know she'd pick you, right?"

Blaine looked over at Puck and nodded silently. "Thanks for that."

"Like I said, you're our bro."

Three hours later, Blaine was fidgeting with the neck of his sweater when he followed Brittany and Sam into a nice French restaurant. Rachel had insisted on going to this place to celebrate, which meant that she was the only one beside Kurt who seemed to be comfortable there. He hadn't seen his ex-boyfriend yet as Rachel hadn't been able to get five tickets all together. However, he could see the new couple already sitting with Rachel and Puck at a corner table near the kitchen.

After the three roommates had adequately praised and congratulated Rachel, Kurt stood up with a handsome Latin man that Blaine recognized from Facebook. "You guys, this is Brandon," he introduced him, his hand low on his boyfriend's back. "Brandon, honey, this is Sam and Brittany." The two blondes smiled politely, Sam even reaching out to shake his hand. "And this, of course, is Blaine."

"Blaine, I have heard so much about you," Brandon said warmly, his light accent instantly charming. It was hard to hate him right away. "I know that this is a little awkward, but I am really glad that you were able to join us for dinner. Rachel was telling us about the album that you did for your school. She said that it was wonderful."

"It was awesome," Brittany corrected him as she sat down between her boyfriend and Blaine. "Our Blaine Warbler is the best singer in the world. Sorry, Rach."

The group of seven made conversation between ordering drinks and nibbling on their appetizers. Blaine learned about Brandon's dance background and listened to Rachel and Kurt talk about her old dance instructor before they had all ended up in New York and ignored the way that Brittany kept pointing out little details about Blaine as if it to remind Brandon that Kurt used to have something better. Sam kept shooting him looks to see if he was doing okay before falling into some intricate game of paper football using a folded piece of straw wrapper. Blaine basically managed to keep it together until their entrees had come and Kurt went to feed a bite of his rosemary chicken to his boyfriend from his fork.

"Excuse me," Blaine managed politely before dropping into his chair.

He didn't wait for anyone to follow after him before heading to the bathroom. He hunched over the sink for a moment before splashing some cool water onto his face. He was so upset with himself for letting this get to him, but it was really hard to see the guy he had spent so long loving happy with someone else. Blaine genuinely wanted Kurt to be happy, but it was even harder when it was right in front of his face. Loving Kurt had changed his life, and now that part of his past was officially over.

"Take my photo off the wall if it just won't sing for you. 'Cause all that's left has gone away and there's nothing there for you to prove," Blaine sang, looking at his reflection in the mirror. "Oh, look what you've done, you've made a fool of everyone. Oh, well, it seems like such fun until you lose what you had won."

"Give me back my point of view 'cause I just can't think for you. I can hardly hear you say what I should do. Well, you choose," Kurt chimed in, his eyes meeting Blaine's in the glass in front of him. Blaine hadn't even heard him come in. "Oh, look what you've done, you've made a fool of everyone. Oh, well, it seems like such fun until you lose what you had won."

"Oh, look what you've done, you've made a fool of everyone," they sang together, their gaze never breaking as Kurt came to stand beside him in the opulent bathroom. "A fool of everyone, a fool of everyone."

Blaine turned to look at Kurt. "Take my photo off the wall if it just won't sing for you. 'Cause all that's left has gone away, and there's nothing left there for you."

"Oh, look what you've done, you've made a fool of everyone," Kurt returned. "Oh, well, it seems like such fun until you lose what you had won."

"Oh, look at what you've done," they finished in unison. "You've made a fool of everyone, a fool of everyone, a fool of everyone."

Blaine took a deep breath and a step back, needing to put some distance between them. It had always gotten really intense whenever they sang together. "You didn't have to follow after me."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Sam wanted to come but I thought it might give us a minute to talk," Kurt said, looking down to inspect his manicure. "It's strange being here with you guys. You five are so close. I feel like I don't belong anymore."

"Kind of how I feel with you," Blaine said with a sad smile. "Besides, you know that Rachel adores you, Kurt. We just all live together now. We share the everyday. It'd be the same if any of us were around you and Mercedes."

Kurt nodded before looking down at his shoes and then back up at Blaine. "I miss you, you know."

"Don't say that."

"Blaine, please, just let me say this," Kurt insisted. "I love being with Brandon, but I really miss having you as a friend. I know that we can't go back to the way things were before, but I really hope some day you will be comfortable enough with everything to be part of my life again."

Blaine twisted his hands in front of him nervously. "I'm working on it, Kurt," he promised as an older man came into the bathroom. "We should probably get back to the table."

"Yeah," Kurt agreed reluctantly before following him back into the dining room.

The rest of dinner went off without a hitch, and Brandon and Blaine managed to shake hands and Kurt gave him a nice hug with a promise to call soon. By the next evening, Blaine was excited to just hang out with Grant. All of his roommates (even Puck) had been checking in to make sure that he was still doing okay, and spending time with someone who knew nothing about his romantic life sounded pretty good right about now.

"So what should we do?" Blaine asked as they rode in the elevator at Grant's apartment building toward the ground floor. He realized then he had put no thought into planning the date.

"I have a friend who plays in a cover band that's doing a gig over at this bar. We could stop by there and get a drink," Grant suggested. If Blaine didn't know him, he wouldn't even guess that the guy was gay. Sure, they had met in an opera class, but Grant's specialty was actually in rock. He was just taking it to get some ideas for composition. "They're pretty good actually. I've even sang with them a few times."

"Sounds like fun," Blaine agreed, and he was suddenly really glad he had ditched his bowtie in favor of a navy thermal shirt and jeans. His style had become a little more relaxed since he spent a majority of his time around guys like Puck and Sam. "Lead the way."

An hour later found Blaine sandwiched between a bunch of Grant's friends, both male and female. He wasn't sure that Grant was feeling his vibe, but at least they were all having fun. His friends were great, and the band was pretty decent as Grant had promised.

"So you're a singer too?" one of the bandmates asked. He was a tall and lanky bass guitarist. "Grant said that you're pretty good. You wanna sing one with us?"

"Me?" Blaine asked, looking between Grant and the bassist. Grant nodded encouragingly and reached out to cover Blaine's hand with his on the table. The little touch of affection gave him all the courage he needed. "Sure, why not?"

"Alright, you guys, this is our new friend, Blaine," the lead vocalist introduced him when they had made their way back to the stage. "He goes to a prestigious music school here in the city, and according to our boy, Grant, he sings like an angel. Let's give a warm round of sound for Blaine!"

The band jumped into a rocking beat as Blaine stepped in front of the microphone. "All the lights go down as I crawl into the spaces. If I died on the screens, life tearing at the seams," he sang, allowing his vocals to fluctuate and flourish. "I don't ever wanna be here, like punching in a dream, breathing life into my nightmare. If it falls apart, I would surely wake it. Bright lights turn me clean. This is worse than it seems. I don't ever wanna be here, like punching in a dream, breathing life into my nightmare."

"They'll get through, they'll get you. In the place that you feel in the most when you're cornered, when its forming, in the place that you wish was a ghost," Blaine continued, bopping along to the beat. He reached his hand out in front of him, his fingertips brushing against the front row. He felt like a rockstar, and his heart nearly stopped when Grant held onto his hand for a second longer than necessary when he finally reached the row of people. "I don't ever wanna be here, like punching in a dream, breathing life into my nightmare."

Later, after last call and an hour-long walk around the city, Blaine allowed Grant to see him to his front door. They stood nervously, smiling at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. When Grant finally slipped his fingers into Blaine's curly locks and cupped the back of his neck, it took everything Blaine had not to swoon into the kiss. Afterward, when he was cleaning against the back of the closed door, Blaine decided that this was definitely the beginning of something good.

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Look What You've Done" by Jet and "Punching in a Dream" by The Naked and the Famous._


	9. Puck is Petrified

"Noah."

Somewhere between his mother saying, "The tests showed an abnormality," and his sister saying, "Noah, I'm scared," Puck found himself on an airplane headed straight back to Lima. He was only on the ground in Columbus for a few minutes before he had already rented a car and headed onto the highway that would take him to the only place he could think of being right now. He hadn't even thought about what he should have done back in New York, calling school or checking in with Rachel. His only instinct was that he had to be in Ohio, that he had to get back to his family as quickly as he could.

They had been through the hell the past year, and no one really got what that had done to him. They weren't there when his mother lost all of her beautiful, dark hair or when she was so sick that she couldn't even manage to keep water down. They didn't see the scared look in Becca's wide eyes or the way she would try to hide the tears when she would go to bed at night. They don't know the sleepless nights he had himself when he worried about how they were going to pay the pills or what he would do if they lost his mother and his pathetic excuse of a father showed back up and tried to take his sister away for insurance money. He had done everything he could do to just keep it together.

And now, like an old pair of shoes he knew too well, he had slipped right back into that role of caretaker. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he went through the instinctive motions. No one knew that he was there except his mother and his sister, and that was only because they had called him. It occurred to him somewhere away that he should probably feel a little guilty about shutting everyone else out, but he honestly couldn't find it in him to be worried about anyone else. It was just how this kind of thing had to work.

His mom was sitting alone at the dining room table when he came into the house. He could see the printouts from the doctor spread out on the wooden surface in front of her. "Becca's at her friend's house," she announced as he slipped into the chair beside her. "I wanted to wait until you got here to tell her, but she knew something was wrong. I couldn't lie to her."

"She's so damn smart for a nine-year-old," Puck replied with a small shake of his head. "I guess I can pretty much only blame myself for that one, huh? I should have sheltered her more."

"She worships you," his mom smiled, something he knew she was only managing to do for his benefit. "I don't know what we're gonna do this time, Noah."

Her voice was so small that it didn't even sound like the strong woman he knew. She had this defeated look in her wavering gaze, and he hated it more than he had probably ever hated anything before, even the sadness that had come with giving up his daughter. "We'll figure it out, Ma," he promised, reaching over to cover her hand with his. The truth was that he didn't have a clue how they were going to do it either, but he had to be strong for them. If he could focus on how to make it okay for his mom and make it okay for Becca, he wouldn't have time to be scared. "I can come home for good or we can manage it until I'm done in New York for the semester. Thanksgiving break starts in a couple days anyhow, I'll just talk to the school to see if I can get an extension on my midterm. If nothing else, I'll take an incomplete and finish everything when things get a little bit better."

"You'll do no such thing," his mother insisted strongly. "I don't care if you want to ask about the extension since you'd only be back there for a couple days before your break anyhow, but you're going back after that and finishing up the semester. We'll decide what you want to do after that since we'll hopefully know more. I know that I want you to stay there and keep going to classes, but I also know you won't listen to me if you think Becca and I are going to need you here."

"Damn right," he declared with his trademark smirk.

"Thanks for that," his mom replied softly.

He could hear his phone ringing an hour later when he was driving his rental toward Becca's friend's house, but he was too wrapped up in his head to really notice it. He knew that it was probably someone back in New York – one of his roommates or someone from the bar. The responsible part of him knew that he really needed to check in, but the little boy who was scared about his mom really just wanted to see his baby sister.

She was sitting on her friend's front porch when he pulled into the driveway. Becca didn't even think twice about saying goodbye to her friend as she flew across the front yard and straight into his arms. She was all scarred knees and pigtails, and Puck knew before too long, all of that would be gone. She was every bit a wiseass Puckerman, but she was also still young and sweet enough to be the little girl his mom still idealized.

"Noah," she whispered into his waist, sounding too much like his mother had earlier.

"Hey, Bex, I got you," he replied softly, lifting her up so that her face was buried in his shoulder. He pressed his face into her hair and thought about how she was almost too big for him to hold like this anymore. Yet, if only for today, it was comforting to know that he could still carry her around as if that would be enough protect her from any of the darkness in the sick, sad world.

"Mom…" she said, her voice trailing off. She pulled back to look up at him with the same hazel eyes as his own, the ones they had thankfully gotten from their mother and not their father. "I don't know what we're gonna do."

"We're going to go home," he told her simply because that was the first step. "Maybe we'll stop and get some of that ice cream mom loves so much. She said something about dinner, so we could get that butter pecan stuff from the dairy. It'll be a nice surprise."

They made their way downtown to pick up the ice cream as well as a strawberry shake for Becca and chocolate malt for him. He hadn't had one in so long since Rachel was back on trying to convert everyone in the loft to veganism, and it was easier to go without than to choke down that terrible carob soy smoothie she kept trying to make happen.

"Look, Bex, I know you're scared. I'm scared too, I'm not going to lie," he told her as he drove through the familiar streets of Lima. "But Ma's a fighter and you're a fighter and I'm a fighter, it's in our DNA. We're going to get through this, and I promise you that I'm not going to leave you alone. If Ma needs me, you know that I am going to be right here with you guys every step of the way. We're going to talk to the doctors, we'll tell you everything, and we will figure this out, the three of us, together."

She messed with the red straw before looking over at her brother. "Can we stop talking about this now?" she implored. Puck nodded and twisted the knob of the radio to give them a little background music. "Oh, I love this song. Will you sing it with me, Noah?"

"A tornado flew around my room before you came. Excuse the mess it made, it usually doesn't rain in Southern California, much like Arizona. My eyes don't shed tears, but, boy, they bawl," he sang happily, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. They used to do this a lot when he was in high school and he would end up taking her to a soccer game or dance class. "When I'm thinkin' 'bout you. I've been thinkin' 'bout you, I've been thinkin' 'bout you. Do you think about me still? Do ya? Do ya?"

"Or do you not think so far ahead 'cause I been thinkin' 'bout forever," she added, her voice sounding more mature than it did just a few months ago. He knew that she would give Schue a run for his money when she got old enough to join glee because his baby sister, she had raw talent. "Or do you not think so far ahead 'cause I been thinkin' 'bout forever."

A little bit later, after the dinner dishes had been cleared away and Becca was sprawled out on the living room floor with her math homework, Puck sat silently next to his mother as she flipped idly through the local channels. "You should check in with New York," she said as she settled on an old 90s sitcom rerun. He was thankful when she didn't say Rachel's name explicitly. "We'll be okay for a few minutes. You call your friends."

Puck headed to his bedroom to retrieve his cell phone from where he had stashed it in his bag. He saw that he had six missed calls from Rachel, a couple from Sam, even a few texts from Blaine. It was only Brittany's call he felt like calling because he knew the girl wouldn't question him about his feelings or his motives. She'd just talk to him.

"Hey, Puck," her cheerful voice greeted him on the phone. "Where you at?"

"Brit, you can't tell anyone," he said softly. "And I don't want to get into the details. I just…I'm in Ohio."

"You went home? Rachel's been trying to get ahold of you all day."

"I know, I know," he exhaled tiredly. "I'll text her in a little bit. It's just, there's so much going on, Brit."

Brittany was quiet for a moment, and he knew instantly that she had figured it out. She was the only one of the group who had seen his mom like that. "Your mom?"

"Yeah. She had these tests last week and I don't know, the doctors think they saw something on one of the scans," he tried to explain. "They needed me to come home. I had to be here, I have to be here. Bex is a mess and Ma's just numb trying to get through this. I have to be there for them."

"I understand," she assured him. "I won't tell anyone anything until you're ready. I just think that you need to tell Rachel."

Puck took a deep breath. "You're probably right, Brit. I'll call her when we hang up."

"Sounds like a smart plan," she agreed. "And you know where you can find me if you need me to cheer you up. I can call my mom! She'll probably let you come by to visit Lord Tubbington, and you know how good his knock-knock jokes are. They always make me feel better."

"That's a pretty sweet offer," he said with a wide smile, the first genuine one he had managed to find all day. "We'll talk soon, okay?"

He only waited a moment after they'd hung up before dialing Rachel's number. "Noah, where are you?!"

"I'm in Lima," he answered quietly. "Sorry, Rach, stuff happened and I had to catch a flight. I've been kind of busy since I got here." He waited a beat, knowing that she expected him to explain further. "It's my mom."

"Oh, Noah…"

"Rach, I just can't right now," he attempted dismissively. "I know you've got school stuff going on there and you need to focus. I'm sorry that I'm going to miss your performance on Tuesday, but you'll be here in a couple days. Maybe you can sing it for me then? I'm going to get an extension from school and stay here. Ma needs me right now, and I can help her take care of Becca."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come home?"

"I'm sure," he promised. "I'm going to be busy, and I'd feel bad if I ignored you. I know you want to help, but the thing you can do for me right now is say a few prayers and focus on school. If I know that I don't need to worry about you and us while I'm here, it will help me stay focused on Becca and Ma. You guys stay in New York, and when you get back to Lima, I will be ready to see you and it will be great."

"We'll all be home Wednesday, even Sam. He's spending Thanksgiving with Brittany's family."

"Okay, well, I'll see you when you get to Lima, right?"

"Noah, sweetheart, are you…" she trailed off, sounding afraid to ask what he knew she so desperately wanted to ask. "Are you okay? Do you want to talk?"

"No, Rach, I just need to get some sleep," he told her tiredly.

Much of the next week was spent going to appointment after appointment, watching his mother undergo test after test. The doctors couldn't seem to figure out why the anomaly kept reappearing on her scans. All they knew was that there was something there. They scheduled a biopsy for the day after Thanksgiving, and he was scared as hell. He knew there was no way they'd be able to enjoy the holiday, but it suddenly seemed really important to all three of them that it was the best Thanksgiving they'd ever had.

Puck managed to find a nice turkey, his mother was going to make her famous sweet potatoes and even Becca had found a kid-friendly recipe to make an apple pie. The three of them worked in tandem all day Wednesday getting everything ready. He had mixed feelings about the day being just the three Puckermans. He had gotten used to his family in New York and was starting to miss them. But Brittany and Sam were having dinner with her family and the Berrys always did a big thing with Leroy's side of the clan. The Andersons were completely ridiculous with how ornate their dinners could get, especially considering that there were only four of them.

He had talked to his roommates a few times since he had been in Lima, especially Rachel. He had gotten everything at school delayed and the bar had given him the time off. He had even shuffled around the few music lessons he had picked up so that Sam could cover for him. He knew that Rachel wanted him to say more and that Sam didn't really understand what was going on and Blaine was doing whatever he could to make sure that the two of them were doing okay. And Brittany, dear sweet Brittany, she provided a little distraction to all of them in an otherwise serious world.

He shouldn't have been surprised when they all started to show up one by one at his house on Wednesday night. They sent Brittany first in her favorite bright green dress and a matching knit cap shaped like a dinosaur. "I'm here to cheer you up, Puckasaurus," she chirped proudly when she came into the living room, a bag of cinnamon popcorn and a stack of board games in hand.

"The others are coming soon, aren't they?"

"Maybe," she said with a childish smile. "It was my idea! Do you like it?"

Puck knew it would destroy her if he said no and really, he didn't have the heart to do it. He actually really appreciated it, especially when his sister came bounding in, clapping excitedly when she saw Brittany holding a box marked "Pretty, Pretty Princess." She had always been Becca's favorite, and the two of them had spent quality time over the summer when he had been running his mom around to appointments last year.

Sam came next with a few pizzas, and Blaine showed up with Rachel a little while after with a couple movies and her prized portable karaoke machine. They invited his mom down to join in the fun with everyone, and they ended up having a pretty fun night. The girls had included Becca in, and the guys had spent most of the time just watching on with a certain kind of fondness. Later, after everyone had gone home except Rachel, he found himself alone with her in the backyard.

They sat on the old tire swing he used to love as a kid, him first and her perching on his knees. "I'm sorry I've been so distant, Rach."

She looked up at him over her shoulder, the pale moon gleaming off her hair. "Noah, I understand."

"No, you don't," he smiled, shaking his head. "Thank god, no, you don't."

"I'm trying to understand."

"And I know that," he said. "But until it's your family, your parent, you have no idea. I don't ever want you to know what it's like, Rach. I don't want you to have to feel the fear I have right or to see your world blown apart. As much as I hate it for me and for my ma, Becca's only nine. Fuck, Rach! I don't know what she'd do without her. I don't know what I'd do without her!"

"You know I'll support whatever it is that you need to do," Rachel reassured him calmly. He nodded slowly.

"Ma wants me to go back to school. We agreed I'd go back after the break, but I don' t know that I'll be back in January."

"So we'll make it work long distance."

"Yeah?" he asked almost rhetorically. "Rach, I'm not going to be able to put in the work it takes to make a long distance relationship good. You deserve more than I'd be able to give you."

She turned slightly in his lap to face him more fully. "I'll be busy with my second semester projects," she pointed out. "I'll barely have time to miss you, and when I do get time, it'll be that much sweeter. I just, I don't want to break up with you because of this. I don't want it to end. It feels like we'd be giving this whole situation too much power. That's not fair to you or me, it's not even really fair to your mom."

"Nothing is fair about this, Rach."

"No one ever said life was, Noah."

He thought about that last statement a lot that night and all day Thanksgiving, and then Friday morning, he decided that it didn't really mean much when he had spent too many hours holding his mother's hand and praying for positive test results.

"Mrs. Puckerman, you can come back now," the doctor announced.

Puck hated him right away. He was too chipper, and Puck couldn't believe he had the audacity to be so optimistic when this could very well have a deadly result. Still, he managed a brave face for his mom as he followed her to the doorway of the exam room. The whole thing only took a few minutes. They end up in a stuffy office with too many diplomas on the wall and a stack of a medical journals. The doctor told him that he had definitely seen something and that they'd know more once they got the tissue biopsy back. He started throwing words around like chemotherapy and stages, and Puck already knew how scary the term sarcoma could be.

His mother never shed a single tear the entire time, and he had to admire how strong she was. They don't talk much about it after they left the office, instead focusing on picking up Becca for lunch at this little Italian place they used to go to all the time when they were younger. Becca gave them a grand tale about her art class and invited Puck to go with their mom to her soccer game that afternoon. If only for a moment, they could all pretend that nothing in his life had changed, even though they all know that everything is about to be different.

Puck was just about to collapse into bed several hours later when he came back into his bedroom after a long shower. He had just changed into an old McKinley shirt with the sleeves cut off when he heard something outside. He probably should have been surprised to find Rachel in his front year, holding that stupid karaoke machine over her head ala "Say Anything" but he wasn't. She looked pretty fuckin' cute in his favorite tiny black skirt and argyle knee socks from high school, holding a fuschia microphone with gold stickers all over it.

"Just listen," she said up to his window. He shook his head and laughed slightly as he leaned against the window pane. "It's been a long time since I came around. Been a long time but I'm back in town. This time I'm not leaving without you," she sang into that microphone, looking all kinds of adorable to Puck. He could hear Becca's footsteps behind him as she came into his bedroom to see what was going on. "You taste like whiskey when you kiss me, oh, I'll give anything again to be your baby doll. This time I'm not leaving without you."

Ever the performer, Rachel sat down the karaoke machine and took a few steps back to give herself room to add some movement to the song. It was clear she had rearranged the song as she skipped ahead to some lyrics that were applicable to them. "Something, something about this place. Something 'bout lonely nights and my lipstick on your face. Something, something about my cool Ohio guy. Yeah, something about, baby, you and I," she ad libbed. His girl was incredible. "It'd been a efw years since I let you go. I couldn't listen to a joke or rock'n'roll. Muscle cars drove a truck right through my heart."

"What's going on?" his mother asked as she came into his bedroom. She looked over Becca's shoulder, her face lighting up instantly. "Is that Rachel Berry serenading my son?"

"On my birthday, you sang me Sweet Caroline wtih a guitar humming and no clothes. This time I'm not leaving without you," she went on. "Oh, you and I, you and I. Oh, yeah, I'd rather die without you and I. Something, something about the chase - six whole years. I'm a New York woman now, born to run you down. So have my lipstick all over your face. Something, something about just knowing when it's right."

She lowered her voice and locked her eyes into his. "So put your drinks up for Ohio, for Ohio, Ohio, I love you," she wailed, her hand clutched in a fist as she felt every note. "Ohio, I'd rather die without you and I. It's been a long time since I came around, been a long time but I'm back in town. This time I'm not leaving without you."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Thinkin' 'Bout You" by Frank Ocean and a rearranged "You and I" by Lady Gaga. _


	10. Rachel is Relentless

There were good kisses, and then there was the one that Puck gave Rachel below his bedroom window that cold November night in Lima with his mother and little sister watching on from the second story above. She had been struggling with a way to show her boyfriend that she was there for him when she had decided to do what she always did and sing out her feelings in a fitting song. While she had momentarily wondered if he would disapprove of such an overt display of emotion, she knew that the bigger part of him would appreciate it because he really needed to know that she was on his side right now. He had been right when he had told her that she couldn't understand what he was going through, but she could relate to watching the person she cared about most going through something bigger than him.

"You're amazing, you know that?" he murmured as he framed her face in his hands, his calloused fingers stroking the soft skin of her cheeks back and forth. "You, that song – just, Berry. I can't even find the words. Just thank you, okay? Thank you."

She beamed up at him radiantly then, nodding before going to her tiptoes to press another kiss to his mouth. "I want you to know that you don't have to go through this alone. You don't just have Becca and your mom, Noah," she pledged. "We're all going to support you every single step of the way. You might have fought the battle alone the last time but that was before. You know that I would never give up and just walk away without at least fighting for the chance to let me help you."

His fingers carded through her hair as he drew her lips to his once again. "I'm gonna push you away and probably fight you on it more than I should, but I don't want to go through this without you," he admitted. She had already known as much. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Rach. It scares me how much I need you. I'm not very good at that part of being in a relationship. I've never been able to rely on much other than Bex and Ma. I'm so afraid that I'll get used to you being there and then you won't be anymore."

"I'm not going anywhere as long as you'll have me," she reassured him, her hands gripping his wrists from where his palms still rested on her face. "I admit that I haven't always excelled at putting others before me or allowing myself to let anyone else meddle into my emotional affairs, but I think I could be a pretty good resource if you will let me be there for you. And it's not just me either. You know that you have Samuel, Brittany and Blaine who want to be there for you, too."

She wasn't sure how she got him to agree, but by the time they flew back to New York together on Sunday night, Puck had agreed to let them work out a schedule so that he wasn't alone for too long in Lima. Whether that meant her flying out with him or arranging a working schedule during the winter break for when they'd all be back in Lima, the four of them were going to get Puck and his family through this. She knew that it was a huge concession on his part, but it was the only way she was sure that they would get through this intact. It was inevitable that he was going to push her away at some point, but for right now, he was willing to let her help.

Rachel didn't have too much time to dwell on it because she was thrown right back into the thick of things Monday morning when classes resumed at NYADA. They were working on a complicated piece, a four-piece baroque minstrel that hadn't been popular since the latter part of the 17th century. One of the girls was having a difficult time hitting notes in the higher range and another couldn't seem to master the Old English lyrics that were far out of the typical realm. Since they were all performing in equal parts, it wasn't as though they could rely on a solo to carry them through. The recital piece required that all four of them be strong and consistent, and right now, they just weren't.

She could feel the tension building before they had left for break, but after discovering that neither of the struggling girls had practiced whatsoever since they'd been gone, it was enough to send her off in one of her patented diva fits not seen since her days at McKinley. "You have got to be kidding me. If you think I am getting on the stage and humiliating myself with those two, you simply must be delusional," Rachel roared angrily one day in the middle of practice. Their professor, an unassuming man in his mid-fifties with round spectacles, looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "Either you work it out so that this is a duet, or better yet a solo, or you can find yourself another first soprano. I am far too talented to see it wasted on such a travesty of a performance."

Rachel had stomped out of the auditorium then without giving her fellow singers or her professor a chance to talk. Though some part of her suspected that she was overreacting, it was only later when she was recounting the self-perceived saga to Blaine that she realized what she had done. "I sounded just like I did when glee first started out," she realized allowed, and she didn't even glare at Blaine when he told her that was kind of obvious. "They sounded so horrible but instead of offering to help, I acted like I was better than them. I thought I had grown past that."

"As much as you want to pretend that you've changed, Rachel, some part of you is always going to be the plaid-skirt-wearing, afraid-of-slushies diva that we all first met and fell in love with," he told her pointedly. "That can be both a good and a bad thing, often at the same time. This is one of the bad times, though, and you probably owe everyone an apology involved. Even if they won't take you back, they deserve to hear that you're sorry. You could probably still offer to help them out even if they've already replaced you."

Two days later, she stopped by the student aid office on her way to the auditorium to apologize to the other three girls and her professor. She knew that she had about an hour to kill before they would meet up, so she decided to take care of the letter that had come to the loft for her a few days before Thanksgiving break. The line was ridiculously long like always, so she spent most of it working out a new arrangement on a jazz piece in her head. She wasn't the only one using the idle time to "study," even smiling over at a guy working through a hip hop dance piece as she practiced her own choreography.

"Yes, I got this letter," she told her financial aid advisor when she was finally ushered into his office. The man scanned through the letter and frowned over at her apologetically. She hadn't really understood what it had meant before, but she knew enough to understand that the look of pity he was giving her now wasn't a good thing. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Ms. Berry, I'm sorry, but it seems that the grant that was behind your scholarship has ran out and we have not been able to secure additional funding to keep the program going after this semester," he informed her as he slid the letter back toward her. "It appears from your records that it was paying half of your tuition while the other part came from private payments, likely your parents?"

Rachel nodded. "My fathers agreed to pay for half of my education, and I received the scholarship for the other part," she explained. "Are there any other scholarships or grants I can apply for?"

"I am afraid not," he replied. "It's too late; most of the deadlines for the spring semester have long passed. You can apply for a student loan that will cover your tuition and performance fees, but you will not be eligible for any monies related to living expenses."

"So I can't come back here if I don't figure out a way to pay for everything within the next two weeks?"

"Again, I'm sorry, but that pretty much covers it," he said. "There are some work study programs still available that you can use to supplement any other income you have. I can even put you in our system as a priority case to help you get assigned more quickly."

Rachel quickly filled out the necessary forms before he dismissed her from his office so that he could get to the next student. She decided to blow off her minstrel group because she knew her bad mood would do little to improve their working conditions. After sending off a quick apologetic text to the one girl in the group she had not totally alienated with an excuse of illness and a promise to be at their next rehearsal, Rachel headed back to the loft to drown her sorrows in a tub of vegan carob and caramel ice cream. She had thought the place would be empty since everyone had class at that time, but she found Puck sitting barefoot in the middle of the kitchen floor with his guitar in his lap and a spiral notebook spread out beside him.

"Why are you here?" she muttered as she darted past him and right toward the freezer. She didn't bother with manners as she hopped onto the counter and started eating the frozen treat straight from the tub with an oversized serving spoon. "I thought you had class."

"Nice to see you too, Berry," he remarked as he fiddled with the G string on his guitar. "The professor cancelled so that we could have extra time to work on our original pieces for my upper level songwriting class. Don't you have rehearsal yourself or something? What's with the huffy attitude and the ice cream extravaganza?"

She glared up at him over her carton. "I had to go by the financial aid office and got some bad news. I'm not really in the mood to deal with those girls, so I blew it off and came home to enjoy some empty calories. I do not want a lecture about it from you either."

"Financial aid?"

"My scholarship fell through. I basically have two weeks to figure out how I am going to pay for my schooling and living expenses next semester," she explained hotly, spooning another bite into her mouth for emphasis. "I could ask my fathers for the money, but we agreed that I would take care of half of it. This scholarship was supposed to be good for four years, Noah. How can they just cancel a grant?"

"How much will it add up to?"

"A lot. Like a lot, a lot," she answered. "I just wanted to be able to do this on my own without their help."

"What about my help?"

"What do you mean your help?"

He sat down his guitar and stood up so that he could walk over to her. He slipped between her legs and snagged the bit of ice cream sitting atop the outstretched spoon. "I have some money saved up, more than I am going to need even if I do end up in New York. Ma talked to the insurance guy, so we should have more help there than we did the last time if things end up going that way," he told her. "I could loan you some or pay your part of the rent for a couple of months, whatever you need to buy you a little more time."

She looked at him angrily. "You're not paying my way, Noah."

"Didn't you recently give me a lecture about letting other people help you?"

"That was completely different!"

"Why? Because it was me who needed help and not you?" he asked. "You're so good at telling other people what they need, Rach, but what about you? You can't accept help from anyone. You get so mad at me for keeping you at a distance, but yet, you keep me just out of arm's reach. I think you're just as afraid to rely on anyone as I am, and the fact that you won't admit it makes you a total hypocrite."

Rachel slammed her ice cream down on the kitchen counter and jumped to her feet. "I'm not scared of anything, Noah. I just refuse to belong to you. If you pay for something, you might start thinking that you own me."

"That doesn't even sound like me." She recoiled at how calm and even his voice is. "And if you really think that way about me, Berry, then you don't know me at all."

She watched as he crossed the kitchen again to pick up his guitar and his notebook before heading out of the room. The door slammed a moment later, echoing loud in the empty loft. Rachel was left feeling somewhere between angrier than she had ever been and wanting to cry until she didn't have any tears left. Her mouth had once again worked faster than her brain and she had said things she didn't mean. It was really starting to get her in trouble.

"I got ten fingers to the sky, my back to the wall, my white flag high. Hair, lips, just like a gun, she's got silver bullets on her tongue," Rachel sang, her voice sounding lonely and forlorn as it echoed off the high acoustics of their vaulted ceiling. "He's deep under her spell. I'm screamin' out but it just won't help. I think I'm cursed. I had him first."

Rachel walked idly through the kitchen and into the living room, running her fingers along the exposed brick wall. "Oh, Adeline, have mercy. You don't wanna break my heart. Take what's mine, don't hurt me," she added, pausing at the window to look out at the city below. "Steal my money, steal my car, don't take my man. Don't take my man, I said don't take my man 'cause you know you can. Put the gun down, oh, put the gun down."

All of the anger she had felt before dissolved with her very sad version of what was usually a powerful song. She knew that she needed to find Noah and apologize. She knew that she owed as much to the other girls she'd hurt before. She knew both of those things, and yet, she couldn't find the strength to walk outside of the loft and go after any of them. Instead, she pulled her phone out of her bag and called up an old friend.

"What would you say if I just pulled a diva trip on Noah and made him angry enough to leave me alone?"

"I'd say that you're the same Rachel Berry you've always been," Quinn teased her on the other end of the phone. "I'd also say that you are probably feeling pretty terrible right about now and that you need to find a way to apologize to him. The guy's crazy about you, Rach. We've all known it for years. Whatever you did probably isn't enough to change that."

"His mom is sick."

Quinn was silent for a moment. "Oh, Puck," she exhaled sadly. "Again? The same thing?"

"The doctors seem to think so. They'll know more next week when they get the results of her tests," she explained. "I wanted to tell everyone, but you know Noah. He's keeping it together for the most part, but I can tell how much it's bothering him. I suppose I only added to his stress when he was just trying to help me in the same way that I insisted on helping him."

"Neither of you is really good at letting someone help them. The two of you spent a lot of years with a 'you against the world' mentality, even if it hasn't been like that for awhile. You can't fight him when he tries to help you, Rachel. Trust me, I know firsthand how he needs to feel like he's helping even when he really can't."

"He just told me that he was scared of the day when he would need me and I wouldn't be there. I guess I'm just as terrified about the same thing," she conceded. Spending most of her childhood with only her fathers to rely on had left her with a thick shell of self-preservation, much like the one he carried with him after his father had left. "Oh, god, I'm terrible, Quinn!"

"Go find Puck, Rachel. Just be honest with him and he'll forgive you."

Rachel hung up the phone and headed out into the cold November afternoon to find Puck. She knew exactly where he would be. It was the only other place he liked to write other than the loft. It was the same bench he'd taken her to that night when they'd talk after they left the bar. She saw him before he saw her. He was still plucking away at that guitar, stopping every now and then to write something down with the pencil perched between his lips.

She stopped short of the bench, crossing her arms behind her back sheepishly as she listened to him. "That's nice, it sounds really good," she complimented him lamely. He looked up at her funnily and just sort of nodded. "Noah, I'm so sorry."

He propped the guitar up on his knee. "I'm listening."

Rachel sat down on the bench beside him, turning slightly so that her knee was pressed against his thigh. "I completely overreacted earlier. Instead of thanking you for your generosity, I said things that I don't even mean and did an absolutely horrid job of actually explaining how I felt. I abhor the type of behavior I illustrated back at the loft, and I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

"Crazy Girl, it's not the first time I've been on the receiving end on one of your fits." She smiled as he tugged on the end of her hair playfully. "Why don't you try telling me again what you meant?"

"I suppose you are not the only one who excels at needing people, Noah," she relented. "I spent so much of my life without any friends or anyone besides my fathers who cared about me one way or the other. I got used to it with Finn and that ended so badly. I was afraid of finding myself in that place again."

"I'm not Finn."

"I know you're not, and I shouldn't have treated you as if you were. I know that you would never purposely make me feel like I owed you anything. More likely, it'd be something I would contrive in my head. I just don't want to complicate our relationship with an arrangement like this. I need to know that I can do it on my own. I've always been taken care of my entire life, that's where we're different. You know how to fight for yourself rather than to have someone fight for you. For me, my fathers have always given me everything. So between not trusting anyone else besides them and wanting to break free of that, I'm kind of a mess."

"You've always been a mess, Berry," he teased her. "You just gotta let me help you if you're gonna help me. We're partners in this thing, and it's not going to work unless we both recognize that."

"So we'll try?"

"And we'll try some more," he agreed. "I'm not gonna give up on you easily."

"Good," she replied before allowing him to kiss her. "And because I only know how to truly apologize in one way and that's with a song, I was hoping that you could accompany me on a piece? I think the girls are still rehearsing and I could use your help."

Rachel and Puck made their way back to NYADA so that she could finally make amends. She apologized genuinely to her professor for her behavior before telling the girls that she was sorry for what she had said. She offered to help them in any way that she could, even if she wasn't going to get to sing with them, and she was grateful when they invited her back as their fourth. They all hugged despite not really knowing each other and then, in true Rachel Berry fashion, she sang her apology song.

"Every now and then I fall. Every now and then I lose control," she sang, her eyes on the girls but her body tilted toward Noah. She was apologizing to him too with this one. "In your eyes, I see your thoughts surrounding me, and I've a little bit of thought for you."

"Cause every now and then I all fall a bit behind, every time I stare into your eyes," she wailed, her voice making full use of the auditorium. "Your thrills I find, it's not to be left behind. So I'll run, you'll hide. We know better than to stay outside."

Her eyes left the girls altogether as she gazed over at her boyfriend. He was pretty perfect with a guitar in his hand. "You're cold and awake. You said should have never stayed, but there's no better place for me. 'Cause every now and then I fall a bit behind, every time I stare into your eyes."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Put the Gun Down" by ZZ Ward and "From Nowhere" by Dan Croll._


	11. Brittany is Bewildered

It all started with a notecard.

Brittany came home one evening after her jazz class, exhausted after a week of late nights, long hours giving lessons and just the general buzz of living in New York City. She had barely seen any of her roommates, even Sam, for more than a few minutes in passing all week long, but she was looking forward to the house dinner they had planned for that Thursday night. It was rare that they were all in one place at one time these days, not so close to the end of the semester, so she was excited about the pasta that Blaine had promised to make and the cookies Rachel would inevitably bake and the alcohol that Puck would steal from the bar.

However, when she came into the loft just a half-hour before they were supposed to sit down to dinner, she was surprised to find it completely empty. The air didn't smell of rich Italian sauce or sweet sugar cookies. There were no signs of wine or liquor on the counter. There was no music or conversation that she could here anywhere in the place. It was just quiet, still and empty. If she hadn't noticed the notecard on the counter at the last minute, she probably would have thought that they had all blown her off. Instead, she found the beginning of a journey that would change her life.

She tore open the envelope with her name written on it in Sam's familiar messy scrawl. The note instructed her to press play on the stereo in Rachel's bedroom. She smiled to herself, knowing instantly that it was a game. Brittany loved a good scavenger hunt, and she was determined to win after the one they'd had for Sam's brother's birthday last year had gone awry. She tucked the notecard into the pocket of her parka and headed into Rachel's bedroom.

"Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me, but bear this in mind, it was meant to be," Sam sang clearly through the speakers. Brittany wrinkled her nose in confusion. It was almost the last thing she had expected. "And I'm joining up the dots with the freckles on your cheeks and it all makes sense to me."

"Huh?" Brittany said aloud, still not sure what to do. "I don't understand."

"I know this isn't making sense yet, Brit, but I promise it will," Sam's recorded voice told her, causing her to grin at how well her boyfriend knew her. He was psychic and fun, a pretty awesome combination if you asked her. "You'll find out more if you head to the first place we ever went together in New York City. Do you remember that place, Brit? You were wearing that bright pink sundress. You looked so pretty."

The recording shut off, and Brittany immediately headed back to the kitchen to grab her bag. They had gone to Serendipity their first day in New York to get a frozen hot chocolate, a strange kind of relief in the cruel heat of August. She couldn't believe that he remembered what she wearing since she could barely remember what she wore two days ago. Taking the stairs to the lobby two at a time, she ran out of the building and onto the sidewalk to hail a cab as quickly as she could.

Ten minutes later, she was escorted by a pretty Asian waitress to a back corner of the café to where Blaine was waiting for her. He grinned at her as he handed over a frozen hot chocolate just like the one she had shared with Sam last year. His handwriting on the cup spelled out her next clue, which indicated that she should enjoy her drink and listen to Blaine for further instruction.

"I know you've never loved the crinkles by your eyes when you smile," Blaine told her in song, picking up on the tune that Sam had started earlier for her on the recording. "You've never loved your stomach or your thighs, the dimples in your back at the bottom of your spine, but I'll love them endlessly."

Brittany grinned against the hot pint straw and applauded Blaine softly. "Do you have my clue?"

"I do," he grinned before handing over another notecard that matched the first one from the apartment. "You are supposed to finish your drink before you open it. Don't cheat either, I swear that Sam will know. After to finish it, read the clue and follow the directions."

Blaine didn't say anything else as he slipped out of his seat. Brittany took her time finishing the frozen drink, not wanting to risk brain freeze even in her excitement. When she had slurped the last of the thick chocolate syrup from the bottom of the cup, she pushed it aside and tore into the notecard. This one told her to head to her favorite place in New York City.

It didn't take her long to find herself at the entry gate of Central Park. She tore off in a sprint toward the duck pond, her blonde hair whipping behind her. She could see Rachel's bright yellow coat as she came around the corner. The brunette was sitting on a bench with an open bag of bread beside her. When Brittany had doubled over next to her friend to catch her breath, Rachel handed her a paper sack that had Sam's next set of instructions written out on it. It told her to enjoy feeding the ducks and listen to Rachel just as she had Blaine before.

"I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth, but if it's true, it's you. Oh, it's you, they add up to. I'm in love with you and all these little things," Rachel continued on in the song. "You can't go to bed without a cup of tea, and maybe that's the reason you that you talk in your sleep. And all those conversations are secrets that I keep, though it makes no sense to me."

"That was very beautiful, Rachel," Brittany complimented her. "Will you at least stay and help me feed the ducks? Blaine left before I got to finish my drink."

"I'm sorry, I can't, I have somewhere I have to be," Rachel apologized with a slight smile. "However, you are to stay here and feed the ducks until all the bread is gone. This note will tell you what to do after that."

Brittany spent fifteen minutes feeding the flocks of ducks that were running and splashing by the pond. This was her favorite place in New York because it reminded her so much of being home in Lima. There was a lot about Ohio that she missed, but it felt a lot closer to her when she was at Central Park. It was slower, quieter, greener – nicer. She liked that even if thousands of people came though there every day, it still felt like it was just hers.

"Sorry, ducks, I'm all out," she said apologetically as she brushed her fingers on her jeans. After tossing the trash in a nearby bin, she opened the next card to see what direction Sam was sending her in. This one led her to a tiny bar she'd gone to last spring when a few of their friends from Lima had visited them in the city. "I guess I'm headed to Chelsea, huh?"

Once Brittany got to the club, she found a friendly man with an impressive beard waiting behind the bar. He smiled as he poured her chocolate milk. Then, he directed her attention to one of the flat screen monitors hanging over her head. She was excited when Tina, Mike and Finn's faces filled the screen.

"I know you've never loved the sound of your voice," Tina sang. "You never want to know how much weight you still have to squeeze into your jeans but you're perfect to me."

"I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth, but if it's true, it's you," Finn and Mike sang together. "Oh, it's you, they add up to. I'm in love with you and all these little things."

"Pretty good, huh?" Mike asked rhetorically. Brittany couldn't help but nod up at the image of her friends on the screen. "I miss you, Brit, you'll always be my favorite dancing partner. But we have a little clue for you. You need to go see Puck."

"He's waiting for you at the place you first danced with Sam," Finn told her with that same boyish smile he'd always had. "Sam thinks you'll remember what that is."

"We're sorry we couldn't be there to tell you in person," Tina apologized with a big smile. All three of them waved at the screen. "Good luck, Brit, we'll talk to you when we're all home for Christmas. See you soon!"

The screen went blank, and Brittany thanked the bartender. He had already called ahead to have a cab idling outside at the curb for her. She asked the driver to take her to Prometheus Fountain. They had been at Rockefeller Center one day a few weeks after they got to the city and had stopped to listen to a salsa band that had set up camp nearby. They'd ended up dancing together with a group of other impromptu performers. It was one of her favorite memories of New York.

Brittany wasn't surprised to find Puck waiting for her with his guitar when she came to the fountain. She waited expectantly as he went ahead with the song. "You never love yourself half as much as I love you," he serenaded her while playing along on his prized instrument. "You'll never treat yourself right, darling, but I want you to. If I let you know I'm here for you, maybe you'll love yourself like I love you."

Puck slipped the guitar strap off his shoulder and sat it down into his case. "Brit, you're doing really well if you made it to this point," he reassured her. He knew that it was important that she get positive reinforcement. "There are just a couple places left before you figure out the end. But first, there are a couple things I am supposed to tell you. See, each clue was supposed to represent something about New York that you've loved, and when Sam started to plan this out, he said that our talks was at the top of that list. I hope you know how special you are to me."

"You're my best friend," she acknowledged. "No one else can keep up with me in shots or likes to eat burritos from that food cart in the subway station. You're brave like me."

Puck smiled at her affectionately. She was like his sister. "You've taught me how to be a little braver, Brit," he told her. "When my mom was sick last year, you did a really good job at helping me be brave for Becca. You made things that could have sucked really fun. And this year, between stuff with Rach and now my mom again, it's been nice having someone on my side. I know you love all of us, but the stuff that you do, I don't know, I know it's for me."

"And you pretend that you're a badass," Brittany scoffed teasingly. "If people only knew how cute you looked in a hot pink tiara…"

He reached over and clamped a hand over her mouth. "We swore to never talk about that."

"Hmm, things change," she mused. "I have, you have. It's good, though, yeah?"

"Yeah," he grinned. "Definitely." He then reached down into his guitar case and handed over another one of Sam's notes. "I think you're ready for the next one. I have to head to work. Good luck, Brit, you'll have to tell me how it ends up later."

Brittany didn't even bother watching after Puck before she tore into the next one. This one sent her to the little movie theater near the loft. He had taken her there to see Dirty Dancing the first full night they stayed in the loft to celebrate officially living together. That had been a really good night.

A uniformed usher was waiting to lead her into an empty theater when she arrived. Once he had set her up with a box of M&Ms and a small soda, he told Brittany to sit back and enjoy the show. A short cartoon clip played first, Brittany's favorite ballet scene from "Fantasia." The screen transitioned to black for a moment before three more familiar faces popped up.

"Lord Tubbington!"

Sure enough, her prized pet was sitting between Mercedes and Kurt on her bed back in Ohio.

"I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth, but if it's true, it's you they add up to," the two sang together. "I'm in love with you and all your little things."

Kurt grinned once they'd finished. "This is the last one, Brit."

"Go to the roof," Mercedes told her. "He's waiting for you."

Brittany left her soda in the cup holder as she dashed out of the theater. It only took her ten minutes to get back to their building. She couldn't even be bothered to wait for the elevator, opting instead to take all twelve flights up to the roof. The sky was dark now, and there were lanterns lit all over. There were flowers everywhere and these silk sashes draped over the clothes lines that usually spread across the roof, effectively blocking much of the view. She was only a little disappointed to see Blaine waiting for her.

"I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth," Blaine sang, holding a candle in his hand. He walked beside her, guiding her toward her next destination.

"But if it's true, it's you," Rachel added as she appeared on Brittany's right side, also holding a candle.

The three of them walked to the next row of drapes. Puck popped out with a third candle. "It's you they add up to," he went on. The other two stopped walking, but Puck gently pushed her forward.

Brittany came around the last row of silk drapes and stopped short. Sam was there, down on bended knee, a little black velvet box in his hand. He was on a makeshift platform lit with dozens of tiny white candles, and Brittany swore later she literally felt her heart stop. She slowly managed to make herself come over to him. Her hands covered her mouth in utter surprise as he finally finished the song.

"I'm in love with you and all your little things," he sang before saying, "Brittany Susan Pierce, I love you and everything that you are. Will you marry me?"

He had done everything that a girl would have wanted, and Brittany knew that it was far more than the fairytale proposal she had imagined as a little girl. However, she still found herself whispering to Sam that she needed to think about it. His face had fallen immediately and she had knelt down next to him to very gently explain that she loved him and wanted to marry him eventually, but that she was still young and needed to be really sure that she was ready before she could say yes. She thought that part of him knew that she might say something like that because he had hugged her then and promised that he understood. He still poured her a glass of bubbly champagne to celebrate with their friends because he wanted her to be happy and not feel awkward.

After her perfect night, Brittany spent a lot of time the next couple days as promised thinking about it. She knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Sam. There had been a time when she had thought that she would never have a husband, but now, she couldn't imagine a future without him in it. She was only twenty-one, though, and she didn't know if she wanted her future to start now. It was overwhelming.

It didn't help much when someone from her past showed up exactly forty-eight hours after Sam had proposed to her on the roof. She was just getting out of her ballet class when she saw a familiar face waiting for her outside the studio. Other students flooded past her, but Brittany remained frozen in her place. Santana was back in New York.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Brit," Santana smiled as she came over to hug the blonde. Brittany didn't return the tight squeeze, opting instead to take a step back and put some distance between them. "I came to see you. I heard you got engaged!"

Brittany held up her hand. "I haven't said yes yet."

"Yet?" Santana asked, and Brittany knew instantly that the tone was hopeful. "Does that mean…"

"I love Sam," Brittany insisted. "Nothing has changed."

Santana looked down at her black suede boots. "Quinn and I broke up."

"Funnily enough, you never really told me that you two were together. Not like that at least," Brittany replied, and she hated how bitter she sounded. "Instead, I got to learn about it through Facebook and Puck, so thanks for that."

"I messed up, Brit, I know," Santana said. "I messed up a lot of things and I lost you, and I hate it. I miss you so much, sweetie."

Brittany covered her eyes in frustration, taking a few deep breaths. "Santana, no," she stopped her. "You had her chance, and I'm not doing this with you, not now. I moved on. It was hard, but I did it. You can't just show up here after all this time and think that you can get me back. You broke my heart!"

She left Santana behind in her tearful wake as she jogged away as quickly as her long legs could take her. She was still sobbing when she showed up at Puck's bar, just wanting to drown her sorrows in one of his virgin mudslides and a little conversation with her best friend. However, that was all forgotten when she came in and he was sitting alone on one of the stools, his head in his hands. She knew right away.

"She's sick."

Puck looked up and nodded. "It's bad, Brit."

"How bad?"

"Bad," he confirmed. "Worse than before, stage three. Not hopeless but still pretty mean."

"Santana is back."

"Fuck," he cursed, shaking his head. "I'm going to Lima on Friday. Rach has a recital on Friday…"

"I'll come with," she promised him, reaching out to tap his arm. She knew that he was asking without having to ask, and her parents had bought her an open ticket once they'd found out about his mom. "I'm sorry."

"You're the only one who knows beside Rach and Bex," he told her. "Can you wait to say anything to the other guys? I just want to know more details before we start telling everyone. I need a little time to process. It's a lot to take on." Once she had promised, he swiveled his stool slightly to face her. "Stay away from San, you don't want to go there. I know it seems like it because she's here and that can be confusing, but I know you, Brit. She's not who you want, not anymore."

Brittany was glad that there was someone on this planet besides her aforementioned paramours who knew her well enough to know what she wanted. "I'm going to say yes."

"It's okay to be scared that you're not ready, Brit," Puck assured her, "but it's not okay for you to think he's not the right person. That might sound a little jacked up but I think you know what I mean. You know he is the one."

Three hours later, her three roommates were spread out with her on the living room floor, busily gluing hundreds of Cheerios to three large pieces of poster board. Blaine was responsible for the Y, a hot pink letter that was covered with a ton of cereal and Spiderman and Batman stickers. Rachel was working on the neon green E, adding her own adornment of Cheerios as well as sparkly applique guitars and music notes. She'd given Puck the bright blue S, to which he had added a few Lip Chap wrappers to along with the cereal. Her own fluorescent yellow exclamation point was blanketed with cereal pieces and little cutouts of all his favorite movie quotes.

They were all lined up on the roof when Sam got home an hour later. He slowly read left to right, his eyes widening with each letter. "Really?" he asked rhetorically as Brittany handed her board off to Puck when her fiancée swept her off her feet. The cool press of her engagement ring to the back of his neck was her only answer. He kissed her then, long and deep, the others clapping happily in the background. They all shared another bottle of champagne afterward, a joyful song filling the cool December night and creating another perfect New York memory.

"You are my best friend. You are the most clever, most stupid, most whatever. You are the most honorable soldier, super hero, pretty as a cat. You have integrity that I cannot conceive. You are opinionated, you are my belief. You are so good, you are so bad. You have experienced things I never have. You take me, you take me, you take me somewhere I have never been."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Little Things" by One Direction and "My Best Friend Is You" by Kate Nash_


	12. Puck is Poignant

The first day of Hanukah found Puck on an airplane on his way back to Lima. The trip was a little more organized than his last one had been, and all of his roommates knew that he was leaving town. He'd be back in two days' time to take his last final of the year, but Brittany was coming with him because Rachel had insisted that she wouldn't let him go alone. She would have gone herself had it not been for school commitments that she couldn't really get out of without her grades suffering, and Brittany's empty schedule had allowed Puck's best friend to head back to Ohio without any kind of conflict. She had only cried a little when he had kissed her in the hallway outside the loft. He knew that she was scared for him, but for right now, he just needed to focus on what was going on back at home.

Puck's mom was waiting when they stepped off the train that had taken them from the airport out to Lima. She hugged her son long and hard while Brittany squeezed an excited Becca tightly. The two friends quickly exchanged partners before heading off toward the Puckerman car. Puck was glad when Brittany pulled Becca a little bit ahead so that he had time to talk to his mother alone.

"Does she know that you have the appointment this afternoon?"

She shook her head forlornly as she looked in front of her where Becca was talking animatedly with Brittany. "No, I didn't want to tell her anything until I knew exactly what to tell her," she answered. "She's supposed to go over to one of her friend's house for the rest of the day. I probably shouldn't have pulled her out of class this morning, but she was just so excited to see you that I couldn't resist."

The four of them headed off for lunch and a little light shopping, just picking up a few thing they'd need later to make dinner. Brittany offered to take Becca to her friend's house when they stopped at Puck's house to pick him his truck. The two girls drove off in his trusty truck while he took his mother's keys from her shaking hands to drive her to the oncologist's office. Brittany showed up while they were still waiting in the little room just outside the x-ray bay, sitting firmly on the other side of his mom to hold her other hand tightly while Puck clung tightly onto the right one.

A few hours later, they had the official diagnosis that had matched the doctor's first opinion. Her cancer had returned, this time a little stronger and more aggressive. The doctor actually felt like she had a great chance at a full recovery with this new experimental therapy they'd been working on, but the nurse in his mother wanted to do further research and consult with a few doctor friends before agreeing to the protocol. Puck's hand was cramped from all the notes he had taken when they'd met with the doctor. That night over dinner, he gave his mother a beautiful leather journal and an engraved pen for the first day of Hanukah. When all of this was over, he wanted his mom to have a beautiful place to write things that weren't filled with fear and sadness and regret.

The next day started off early, with his mother heading to the hospital for her morning shift and Brittany going to her own house to visit with his parents. Puck had gotten permission to keep Becca out of school for another day, wanting to just give her another really great memory before the cycle of cancer treatments started all over again. He also had saved his Hanukah gift for her from the previous day so that she'd be able to open them both at the same time. Rachel had helped him pick them out, and he had to admit, he was pretty excited to see how she would react.

"Noah, are these real?" she asked in amazement, carefully fingering the silver bracelet that rested in a black velvet box. He had picked out the charm bracelet on a whim when he had been walking through an art fair near NYU back in October. The first thing he had chosen was the soccer ball with the little black and white diamonds, knowing how much his sister loved the sport. "It's so pretty."

"They are real diamonds, so you have to take extra good care of it, Bex," he told her sternly. He then handed over another tiny little box. "This one is from Rachel and me. She actually picked it out."

Becca slipped away the deep blue ribbon and flipped open the box to find a silver Star of David charm with a single blue sapphire hanging down from the middle. "Wow, this one is even prettier!"

"Rachel got one just like it to wear on a necklace, so you two are kind of twins," he said, knowing just how much Becca would like that. "Here, do you want me to help you put it on?"

Puck clasped the little silver bracelet around her dainty wrist and smiled proudly as she held it up in the sun. She grinned at how it glinted, refractions of rainbow dancing all over the interior of his truck. He must have caught her staring it at a hundred times that day, and he knew that every cent he had spent on the expensive gift had been worth it. Becca hadn't always gotten the best of everything, so she deserved to have something that made her feel special. Later on, after they had told her everything at the family dinner table, he watched her fingering the Star of David charm nervously. He couldn't help but whisper later as he tucked her into bed, "Keep it close, Bex, it will protect you."

There were tears on both ends of his flight the next day. His mother hugged him tightly when they got back to the train station with Brittany. He reminded her that he would be home in five days, but he couldn't help but tear up a little himself when she told him goodbye. Brittany distracted him with idle chitchat and stories until they were back in New York. However, as soon as she spotted her fiancee waiting at La Guardia, he was all but forgotten. A moment later when Rachel came flying into his arms, he thought to himself how he couldn't really blame Brit.

He didn't have much time to catch up with Rachel before they were headed to Tisch with his portfolio of sheet music. He had his final in his arrangement class where he had been charged to give a modern song a classical twist. It hadn't been easy to transform the Avett Brothers song into something out of the Sixteenth Century, but thanks to a borrowed harpsichord and a resourceful girlfriend, he had managed to turn the piece into a duet completely different from the original.

"All it will take is just one moment and you can say goodbye to how we had it planned," Puck sang, his fingers easily working over the small keys of the harpsichord. "Fear is like a habit, run like a rabbit out and away, through the screen door to the unknown."

Rachel gave her voice a slightly refined English accent to match the place and time he had imagined in his head when he had rearranged the song. "And I want to love you and more. I want to find you and more. Where you do reside when you hide? How can I find you?"

"Cause I want to send you and more. I want to tempt you and more," he replied in song, slightly layering the beginning of his verse over the end of hers. "Can you tell me that I am alive? Let me prove it."

"You and I, we're the same. Live and die, we're the same," they sang together in unison, looking deeply into each other's eyes. "Hear my voice, know my name. You and I, were the same."

"Left like a pharoah, sing like a sparrow anyway, even if there is no land or love in sight," Rachel went on, moving behind him for a little dramatic effect. She trailed her hand around his waist, across back an finally down his arm on the other side. "We bloom like roses, leave like Moses out and away, through the bitter crowd to the daylight."

"And I want to love you and more. I want to find you and more," Puck sang to her, moving his hands to the left of the keyboard so she could play to his right. They both smiled as they turned to face each other. Rachel couldn't have storyboarded it better herself. "Can you tell me that I am alive? Let me prove it to ya."

"You an I, we're the same. Live and die, we're the same. You rejoice, I complain, but you and I, we're the same," they sang together, this time slower. Their playing slowed to match the new tempo. "Lie and die, we're the same. You and I, we're the same. Hear my voice, know my name. You and I, we're the same."

Afterward, on the walk back to the loft, Puck pulled out the gift he had chosen for their third day of Hanukah. She had already opened the tickets to Madame Butterfly (first day) and a new bottle of her favorite perfume (second day) while he had been gone, but he had been especially excited for her to open this one. Inside was a set of guitar picks with lyrics to "Sweet Caroline" on them that he'd has especially made. She had decided that she had wanted to learn guitar a few weeks ago, and he thought she looked pretty hot playing his now that she had started to get some things down.

He decided that it was time to tell everyone about his mom the next day, so he called a roommate meeting before he headed out for his shift at the bar. They were all in the living room, pizza and beer between them, when he broke the news. Brittany and Rachel had already known the details, but it didn't stop them from crying all over again. Blaine was pretty stoic for his part, but Puck was surprised when Sam was the one to completely break down. Puck had awkwardly accepted a hug from the blonde and thanked him for his promises to keep his family in prayer. Sam was a good guy with a strong faith, and Puck knew that he could take all the positive press with the Big Guy Upstairs that he could get.

"We knew that she was probably sick, but this is definite?"

"Yeah, Sam, it's definite," Puck told him. "She starts chemo again on December 12th. They are going to give her two really strong dosages over the holidays. They had wanted to delay things until after the New Year, but you know my ma, she insisted."

"And what happens after that?" Blaine asked carefully. "More chemo? Radiation?"

"She's going to go back to the oncologist to get started on a holistic protocol. They want to try a mix of things and give her some time for the naseua. We'll know what the next step after that will be at the beginning of January," he explained. "There is a chance that I won't be able to come back next semester. Ma and Rach have teamed up to make me to promise to wait until after that appointment before I decide what I want to do."

"You know that we'll miss you like bananas if you're not here, right?"

"I'll miss you guys too, Brit," he smiled fondly at his best friend and her fiancee before reaching over to elbow Sam. Rachel squeezed his hand beside him. "And these girls also made me promise not to try to do this alone. Rach told me about the schedule you guys have for December. You did all that before we even knew, and I want you guys to know how much I appreciate all of you. You four, you're my family. You guys, my ma and Bex, you're what really matters."

He couldn't believe it when he was the one who suggested a group hug after the meeting broke up. All four were all too eager to wrap him up in a tight embrace, one that was only loosened when he promised to give them presents if they let him breathe. He left for the bar with a smile on his face after he'd handed out little bags of chocolate coins to Brittany, Blaine and Sam, and one with vegan carob for Rachel. They really were a family.

Puck woke up late the next morning to an empty loft with Finn on his mind. He knew that his very tall childhood best friend would want to know what was going on, but he had been dreading making the call. Finn and him were on good enough terms, but it still got a little awkward when he asked about Rachel. Puck knew that the two would always care about each other, probably even have a little bit of love somewhere in there, but he didn't want to think much about it.

"Hey, man," Finn said as soon as he picked up the phone, and Puck could hear the grin on the other end of the line. "You'll never believe where I am."

"Oh, yeah?"

"I'm visiting Quinn actually, and we were just talking about you. She said that her mom ran into you at the grocery store in Lima last weekend."

"Yeah, I was back to see my ma and Becca," he replied. "That's actually what I called to tell you about."

Finn must have sensed something was up because Puck heard him muffle the phone and say that he was going to take the call outside. "What's going on?"

"Well, I know you know my mom had the tests and everything, but we got the diagnosis back and it's not good," Puck confessed. He felt tears welling his eyes, ones that he hadn't really cried for his mother yet. Even with all the support he had with everyone, it was different when it was just him and Finn. Finn had been there for some pretty gnarly stuff, like his dad leaving, and Puck knew that he could trust him to just listen. "It's bad actually, real fuckin' bad. Stage three, can you believe that shit? She's fuckin' terrified."

"When's her first chemo appointment?"

"December 12."

"I'll be back in town then. I'll roll with, bring cards and tell your mom those jokes like I used to when we were kids. It always seemed to work. It might distract her."

"Yeah? She might like that. That way Rach can stay with Becca and keep her occupied," Puck decided. "I don't want either of them around that, you know? Ma gets really protective of the girls."

"Dude, you're always going to be my brother. She's my other mom. You know there's nowhere else I would be if you guys need me, right?"

Puck had known that but it was easy to forget sometimes. "Thanks, bro."

Rachel dragged Puck to temple the next night, the first time he'd made it since Hanukah had started. She made him wear a suit and dressed up in a pretty navy dress herself and held his hand as they repeated the prayers in Hebrew. He felt better coming out than he had coming in, and rewarded her with a genuine thanks and a kiss on the cheek when they walked out into the cold New York night. They made polite small talk with a few of the other attendees and went over to compliment the rabbi on the beautiful service. Afterward, while they warmed up with hot tea at this place with a fireplace that she loved, she pulled out a gift for him.

"It belonged to Daddy's father. I never met him, but from what Daddy says, you are a lot like him," she said as he looked down at the old pocketwatch. "He carried it with him all during the war, it was the only thing he brought with him when he escaped from the camp and came to America. Daddy said that he swore it had special powers of protection. I'm not sure that's true but I like to think it is. I hope it will give you the same kind of courage and grace."

"Rach," he said in astonishment. "I can't take this. It belongs in your family."

"You are family, Noah," she reminded him, shaking her head as if he had just said the silliest thing. "Trust me, Daddy and I both think thta he would have wanted you to have it."

Puck was on the phone with Mike the next day as he came home from picking up his grades at Tisch. It had been a strong mix of As and Bs, a grade card that he couldn't wait to show off to his mom. The Asian boy had already finished at Joffrey and was back in Lima. Puck had sent him by the house to check on his mom and sister after telling him about everything that was going on. Mike was a good friend, one that Puck sometimes forgot to appreciate. In a lot of ways, Puck thought he might miss him the most of all his friends from high school that weren't in New York, even more than Santana or Finn.

"They're doing well, Puck, you don't have to worry."

"Thanks for going by there, Chang," he said. "I know Ma likes the company and Bex wouldn't shut up for ten minutes about how cute you are. She said that you showed her some of your ballet shit. She thinks you're a god."

After promising to catch up with him when he was back in town, Puck hung up his cell and started the slow ascent up to the loft. Rachel was standing outside, clearly pissed, when he reached the front door. "What's up?"

"They won't let me inside!" she yelled, turning her face toward the door to make sure that the roommates could hear her. "It's a surprise for us. I've had to pee for ten minutes!"

"Patience, grasshopper," Sam called back in response, Brittany and Blaine laughing with him. "Just one more minute, we promise."

"It better be worth it!" she screamed back.

"You're going to eat your words when you see this, Rachel," Blaine informed her.

A minute later, Brittany pulled open the door and Rachel stalked past. However, his girlfriend stopped short when she took in the beautiful sight before her. Their roommates had set up a traditional Hanukah feast with all the typical foods. There was even a silver menorah in the middle of the table, surrounded by blue and white confetti as well as a few wooden dreidels.

"Sam and Blaine did most of the cooking, and I got some things from that kosher deli I know that Puck loves," Brittany said proudly as Rachel slowly circled the table. Puck reached out and hugged his best friend. "I did the table too. Did I get it right?"

"It's perfect, Brit," Puck told her. He let go of her and went over to hug Sam and then Blaine. "You guys, this is awesome. I'm starved, and you got everything just like Ma always has."

"I know, we had a little help planning the menu," Blaine said. "You guys were awesome about helping us with the Christmas tree after we came home from Thanksgiving break, and we wanted to do something to celebrate your Judaism."

"Yeah, dude, I don't know much about Hanukah other than the whole eight presents thing, but this food is pretty awesome," Sam said. "Your ma even walked us through how to make the bread. It only took two tries, but I think it came out right."

Puck ate so much that night that he passed out right at the dining table and slept through the entire night. He woke up in a panic early the next day when he realized that he had a flight to catch in three hours. Rachel, of course, had already packed and just needed to grab a shower to get ready. He took a quick soak before throwing some clothes together in a backpack along with his sheet music and phone charger. With his bag over his shoulder, a guitar in one hand and his girlfriend in the other, Puck just barely managed to make it to the gate in time to head back to Ohio.

They had lunch with her fathers after they met them at the airport in Columbus. They talked on the drive back to Lima about the weather and the gossip in town and his family. Rachel hugged him when they dropped him off at his house to catch up with his mother and Becca. They had plans to get together later, and he couldn't believe how much he missed her only a few minutes after she had gone.

The rest of the afternoon was spent celebrating the last day of Hanukah with Becca and his mother. They had several days worth of presents to open, and using all of that week's tips on the pearl bracelet for his mother had definitely been a good idea when she saw the tears in her eyes. They had a light dinner, and Puck made sure that everything was good at the house before he begged off to go pick Rachel up. The two of them didn't really want to do much, so they bundled up and headed out to the lake to just talk. Puck managed to find a blanket underneath the seat of his truck, and they ended up wrapped together in it on the tailgate not too much later.

"Sing me something?" she asked once the conversation had lulled. It was pretty quiet, most of the sounds that typically went with being at the lake silenced by the cold weather.

"Help, I have done it again. I have been here many times before," he sang, his voice vulnerable. "Hurt myself again today, and the worst part is there's no one else to blame."

"Be my friend. Hold me, wrap me up," he strummed. "Unfold me, I am small and needy. Warm me up and breathe me."

"Ouch, I have lost myself again," Rachel picked up. "Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found. Yeah, I think that I might break. I've lost myself again and I feel unsafe." She closed her eyes, tears still managing to break past her lids. "Be my friend. Hold me, wrap me up. Unfold me, I am small and needy. Warm me up and breath me."

He stopped playing the guitar and reached over to cup her cheek. Her eyes snapped open. "Be my friend. Hold me, wrap me up," they sang in unison. "Unfold me, I am small and needy. Warm me up and breathe me."

When they had finished the song and he had shifted his guitar away again, Puck drew her close to his body and pressed his lips to the side of her head. "Love you," he whispered softly, so quietly that she could have easily missed it. However, when she looked up at him over her shoulder questioningly, he knew that she hadn't.

"I love you, too."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Breathe Me" by Sia and "Live and Die" by the Avett Brothers._


	13. Blaine is Buzzed

Blaine tried with Grant, he really did, but when it came down to it, the chemistry just wasn't there. It had been fun hanging out with him, and if nothing else, Blaine knew that he had made a really good friend out of the fling. However, once they came back to New York after the holiday break, he knew that the whole attraction had been fleeting. He hadn't missed the guy he was supposed to consider a boyfriend, and when the two of them met over coffee a couple days after school had started back up, Blaine quietly told him that he hoped that they could still be friends.

He was proud of himself for at least getting back out there. He had that rebound relationship under his belt and knew that he was capable of finding someone that he wanted to spend time with again. That didn't mean that he was in a rush to find someone else right away though. Second semester meant a ton of recitals and required performances, and school was going to start taking a front seat for everyone in the loft. Everyone was on different schedules right now and he missed his flatmates. In fact, he didn't even get to tell Sam or Rachel that he'd broken up with Grant and even then, it was only in passing when the two of them were eating breakfast standing up at the kitchen counter.

It was that rush of activity that had him running on fumes by the time the first week of the winter semester came to a close. Puck was at the bar working a shift before he caught the redeye to Columbus, Sam was playing at the coffeehouse and the girls were both gone to some class. Blaine made his weekly call to Coop and then pretty much passed out. He was awoken abruptly several hours later by his ringing cell phone, and he mentally cursed whatever roommate was calling him to let him know that they'd forgotten their key. However, in his sleepy haze, he didn't even bother checking the screen before answering with a half-awake, "Hello?"

"Blaine?"

He sat up immediately in bed, surprised to hear his voice for the first time in a couple months. He hadn't had any contact with Kurt really since his visit in November other than a passing wave in Lima when they'd both been by the Puckerman household to visit Puck's mom. "Hey, Kurt," he said softly. He self-consciously ruffled his curls as he pulled his knees up to his chin under the blankets. "How have you been?"

"I'm okay," he said weakly and Blaine knew he was lying. "A little lonely." Blaine knew that tone. He hadn't heard it since his days at Dalton. "We broke up, the dancer and me. He said I was too hung up on the past. I don't know, maybe he was right."

Blaine widened his eyes in the dark. "By the past, do you mean me?"

"I don't know what I mean, Blaine," Kurt answered honestly. Blaine could sense the emotional exhaustion in his ex-boyfriend's tone. "And I know that you're seeing that Grant guy or whatever, but I woke up this morning and wanted to tell you that I missed you. Not just as a friend but like miss, miss you, you know? I saw you at Christmas at Puck's and life is just so short, and I've missed so much time with you, Blaine. I don't want to keep missing out on things just because I couldn't forgive you two years ago. I tried to move on, I thought I had, but how do you move on from the first and only person you ever loved? It's petrifying."

"I missed your ramblings," Blaine chuckled into the receiver. He could almost imagine Kurt curled up in his bed in Mercedes' apartment, a place he'd only seen in Facebook photographs. "As for the loneliness, I think that's to be expected. Mercedes is gone on tour right now, and LA can be a big place if you don't have people around. And the rest...Kurt, I don't know how I feel about that, to be honest. It's taken me a long time to get to where I'm okay with even thinking about being your friend. I'm not ready to throw myself back into this yet."

"Will you at least just think about it?"

Blaine hung up with a promise to think about it and somehow ended up in tears before his cell phone each hit his mattress. It had been a long time since he had known, truly known, that some part of Kurt's heart still loved him. He was terrified at both the prospect of getting back together with him and the thought of missing out on a second chance. It was a lot to take in all at once, and he honestly had never seen it coming.

"Hey, you okay, man?"

Kurt looked up to see Puck leaning in his doorway with a bag slung over his shoulder. Blaine nodded thoughtfully as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Just Kurt stuff," he answered simply.

"What'd Beyonce do now?" Puck asked as he shifted his duffel onto the floor and came to sit on the edge of Blaine's bed. "Do I need to kick his ass?"

Blaine smiled at his roommate thankfully. "He wants us to try things again."

"Wow," Puck exhaled, clearly shocked. "So I guess the guy from Thanksgiving..."

"That's over with. He said he misses me."

Puck tapped his chin. "Well, you don't have to decide any of this shit now. Make Porcelain wait a little bit, give yourself some time to enjoy the upper hand," he advised him confidently. "Just don't tell Rach until you decide what you want. You know she's secretly hoping Kurt would get it together for Klaine 2.0."

"Like Puckleberry 2.0?"

"Something like that," Puck grinned. "Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know that I am headed out. I should be back Sunday. Tell everyone else I said goodbye, will ya?"

"I can do that," Blaine said as he bumped his fist against Puck's outstretched hand. His roommate had grown up a lot since high school, and the man that was managing to balance a busy life in New York and an important one back in Lima hardly resembled the rebellious teenager who barely managed to make it to graduation. Blaine was proud of him. "Are you sure you don't need company?"

"Nah, Finn's going to be around, so I'll have someone to hang with while Ma is sleeping and Becca's at her friends or whatever. Thanks, though," Puck said with a little wave. "Keep your head up, 'll figure it out."

Blaine woke up the next morning determined to get a grip on his tumultuous emotions. He thought about going for a run, but the cold temperatures made him think twice about putting in an hour at Central Park. Instead, he grabbed his boxing clubs and heading for the gym a few blocks from the apartment that offered early sessions. He was pleased to find the place mostly empty for a Saturday morning and immediately set up camp at a bag in the furthest corner from the entrance. Popping his trusty earbuds in, he started to sing softly to himself while hitting his target with powerful strength in intermediate fits of energy.

"I got a brand new attitude and I'm gonna wear it tonight. I wanna get in trouble, I wanna start a fight," he sang to himself, closing his eyes. Sweat was already pouring down his face. "So, so what? I'm still a rock star. I got my rock moves and I don't need you. And guess what, I'm having more fun and now that we're done, I'm gonna show you tonight. I'm alright, I'm just fine, and you're a tool. So, so what? I am a rock star, I got my rock moves and I don't want you tonight."

The rest of the gym doesn't exist. It's just him, that song and the bag. He dodged to the pop beat pulsating in his head. He skipped the part that didn't go with how he felt, choosing instead to feel the part that spoke to him in that moment. "What if this song's on the radio, then somebody's gonna die? I'm gonna get in trouble, my ex will start a fight. Na na na, he's gonna start a fight! Na na na, we're all gonna get in a fight."

He was just about to go for another round when a piece of lyrics stuck out to him. Instead, he found himself searching his bag for his phone. Without even thinking, he sent off a text with the final bridge of the song typed out for Kurt to read: "You weren't there. You never were. You want it all, but that's not fair. I gave you life, I gave my all. You weren't there, you let me fall."

Blaine felt a little bit better after he sent the message and spent another good hour beating the hell out of the bag. After grabbing a quick shower, he stopped by the deli on the corner to pick up coffee and bagels for his roommates. He was pleased to find Sam already sitting at the counter with the newspaper spread out in front of him when he came in. He could hear the shower running in Rachel's room and Brittany talking to her mom in the room she shared with Sam.

"Good morning!"

"What has you so cheerful?" Sam asked grumpily as he took the cup of coffee from Blaine. His best friend hummed his pleased approval at the rich brew. Sam smiled at him thankfully then, the bad mood he'd literally had three seconds before evaporating. "Did you get poppyseed?"

"Of course," Blaine answered, pulling the requested bagel out of the bag. "Hey, before the girls get in here, can I ask you something?" Sam nodded. "Okay, so Kurt called me last night to tell me he broke up with that guy. He wants us to think about getting back together."

"Dude, are you serious?"

Blaine nodded as he took a sip of his own java. "He said that he misses me. It was really nice to hear, I have to admit," Blaine acknowledged. "I just don't think that I am ready to get back in the middle of that though. It took a lot out of me last time."

"Everything," Sam corrected him. "Look, if that's what you decide you want, you know I got your back 100 percent. I also want you to think about all the unnecessary crap Kurt put you through after the breakup. If you're going to do this, you need to be really sure. I don't want to see my best friend destroyed like that again."

"I hear you," Blaine reassured him with his trademark smile. "Puck knows but maybe don't say anything to the girls? Brit can't keep a secret and Rachel will just want to be involved. I need to figure this out for myself."

"You got it, dude," Sam replied before bumping his fist against Blaine's.

"Bagels!" Brittany clapped excitedly before pulling out her chocolate chip bagel out of the bag. "Did you get it?"

"Chocolate cream cheese just for you," Blaine answered before handing her a small bottle of skim chocolate milk. The girl loved sugar like no other. "How's everything in Lima?"

"Lord Tubbington has to go to the vet today," she frowned. "Puck is going to go by and give him a hug for me."

"That's nice of him."

"Duh, that's what best friends do," Brittany smiled. "Sammy would totally go by and hug Coop if he was sick. Oh, that reminds me! We have something we wanted to ask you. Sam, do you wanna ask him?"

Sam smiled at his fiancee and then over at his best friend almost shyly. "Brittany is going to ask Puck to be her best man, and I was hoping that you would be my best man. You guys don't have to walk down the aisle together or anything. That'd be too weird."

"Really? You don't want Finn or your brother or something?"

"Dude, you're my best friend," Sam said matter-of-factly. "You're like the most important person to me other than Brit. Of course I'd want you up there with me! Besides, Brit and I agreed that you're our best couple friend. No matter what, you're our third person."

"Yeah, Blaine, you have to be there. And I want you to sing. You still sing the prettiest out of everyone I know. Please still don't tell Rachel," she pled with an endearing innocence. "What do you say? Will you do it?"

"Of course, guys, I'd be honored!" he cried, tears welling up in his kind eyes. He hugged Brittany tightly and then Sam. "Just promise me that when you're married and living on your own that you'll always have a bed or a couch for me in case I get lonely."

"Blaine, you know we love you, right?"

He couldn't help but reach out and hug Brittany again then. "Yeah, I know. Me too."

That evening, after Rachel was off work and Blaine was back from visiting an exhibit his musical history teacher had assigned to them, the two of them headed out to a tapas place for a little bit of bonding. She looked as relaxed as he had ever seen her, dressed in a down parka, Uggs and yoga pants. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun and she looked completely at home in her own skin. Being with Puck was a look she wore well.

"You seem good."

"Noah's mom had a really good day, so it helps," she revealed. "He was really happy when he called earlier. It's been awhile since he went home and didn't sound torn up the entire time. I think having Finn there has been good for him."

"Sometimes I forget how good of friends they used to be."

"Me too," she admitted. The history the explained the reason behind that, the part that included her relationship with Finn and the whole Quinn turmoil, went unsaid. "He told me he loved me at Hanukah."

"Rachel, that's amazing! No wonder you're so happy."

She played with her linen napkin in her lap. "I am, but it's also scary. A lot of my heart, the biggest part, is wrapped up in him."

"He's not going to hurt you."

"I know," she said softly, and he thought she sounded like she meant it. "Anyway, it was a good day, and I don't want to think about anything bad. I just want to have fun!"

The two of them proceeded to get very drunk very quickly, enjoying the impromptu singing that struck up during a weekend feature the restaurant called, "Sing for Your Supper." The owner would wander around the dining room every fifteen minutes and choose a table to sing for their supper. If they succeeded in impressing the other diners, he would give them their entire meal for free. Blaine wasn't at all shy about jumping up in his chair and taking the microphone when the balding Spanish man showed up at their table.

"And I don't remember what I read, don't remember what they said. I guess it doesn't matter, I guess it doesn't matter anymore!" he wailed, jumping up and down on the seat. Rachel bounced next to him, hands thrown over her head carelessly. If only Puck could see her now. "You're gonna go to the record store. You're gonna give 'em all your money. Radio plays what they want you to hear. They tell me it's cool but I just don't believe it!"

"Sell out! With me, oh yeah! Sell out! With me tonight! Record company's gonna give me lots of money and everything's gonna be alright," he sang, jumping down to dance almost provocatively with Rachel. "I don't think it'll be so bad. I know it won't be so bad. 'Cause the man said, 'that's the way it is.' And the man said, 'it don't get better than this.'"

He was still mostly drunk when he ended up back in his bed. He hadn't looked at his phone all night and was surprised to see a string of text messages from Kurt seeking explanation from his mysterious lyrical text that morning. Blaine started to type out a reply before he decided to just call him. "Kurtsy!"

"You know I hate that nickname," Kurt moaned when he picked up the phone. "Why are you so loud? Blaine Anderson, are you drunk?"

"Very much so," he answered with a salute that he didn't realize Kurt couldn't see. "Rachel and I had a lot of sangria. A lot. I think she might be having phone sex with Puck in the next room. She keeps moaning. Loudly. Oh, shit, I probably shouldn't have told you that. She'd kill me."

"You just cursed," Kurt chuckled, clearly amused. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Am I safe with you?"

Kurt took a deep breath. "Blaine, I don't think you know what you're saying right now."

"I do but I don't," Blaine retorted. "Does that make sense?"

"Not really. You should drink some water and get some sleep. I'll call you in the morning and we can figure out what you mean together," Kurt suggested patiently. Blaine missed him right then. He was always really good at taking care of people. "Make sure to take a couple aspirin for you go to bed. It'll help with the headache in the morning."

"Are we going to figure this out, Kurtsy?"

He doesn't acknowledge the nickname this time. "I really hope so, sweetie."

"I miss you, Kurt."

"Oh, honey, I miss you too," Kurt said softly. "So much it hurts."

"I don't want you to be like Santana. She keeps hurting Brittany. But Brit has Sam to protect her and who do I have? You can't be like Santana, okay? 'Cause then I'll have to get Sammy involved and Brit and Rach and Puck. They're my family now, you know? I love them and they love me. It's the five of us. I miss Puck. He's in Lima seeing his mommy. I miss my mommy."

Kurt laughed louder this time. "Wow, you're so drunk."

"Yup," he grinned. Sam and Brittany popped their head in the room then. "Kurtsy, look! Sammy and Brit Brit are here!"

"Kurt, we're gonna get Nightbird here to sleep," Sam said into the phone once he had managed to get it away from Blaine. He had already pulled Brittany down onto the bed to snuggle with him. "I'll make sure he calls you tomorrow."

Blaine started to complain about not getting to say goodnight to Kurt when he forgot what he was going to say. Instead, he allowed Sam to tuck the blanket around him and Brittany. Sam took his own place on the far side of the bed next to the wall once he saw that his fiancee was clearly planning to sleep in there for the night. The two of them were talking about absolutely nothing when Rachel came in.

"Rachel, were you and Puck having phone sex?"

"Blaine, God, no!" she grumbled. "I was throwing up in a shoe box in my closet." He wouldn't have believed her had he not seen the shudder that swept over her entire body. "Needless to say, I don't think Noah enjoyed that sound."

"Sleep with us, Rachie," Blaine declared aloud. He moved slightly so that she could climb on the edge. There wasn't much room left but it was just enough for her to fit. "I love you guys. You're my family. You guys and Puck. I miss Puck, Rachie."

"I miss him too, Blaine," she said, patting his cheek. "But it's okay because I have you and Brit and Samuel to stay with me. If I haven't said it before, I really love living with all of you."

"We love it too, Rach," Sam said from the other side of a now-snoring Brittany. "But I think you two drunkards should try to get some sleep."

"Okay, Sammy," Blaine said as he snuggled beneath the blanket. He slept perfectly peaceful for the first time in months that night and woke up knowing exactly what he wanted to do next.

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "So What" by P!nk and "Sell Out" by Reel Big Fish. Thank you for all the reviews. I want to give a little prize to the 60th person to review, so the person with a proper FF name that I can send a message to and who reviews will win a one shot of their choice from any of the fandoms I've written for. You can check my profile for a complete listing._


	14. Brittany is Bossy

Brittany got really good news halfway through January when her performance advisor approached her to say that she had been requested to choreograph a piece for the nearby by performing arts high school. It was a big deal to be invited to take part by the school. Some of the most elite choreographers and instructors had gotten their start by doing pieces with their top students. She understood that this said something about her calibre of skill, not that she had ever really had any doubt. She was also still nervous about it, even if she did totally believe in herself.

She had pretty much worked the entire thing out in her head before she even started to work with actual dancers. She ran through it a few times with a couple of girls in her jazz class, tweaking a few things she realized didn't flow well when actually performed. She then went to work actually storyboarding the moves so that the students would have a visual when she started to teach it. Sam must have checked on her a half-dozen times that night when she never came to bed. He was proud of her, she could tell, and it felt really awesome to have his support.

It was that kind of support she was counting on when she rounded up her roommates to ask for a special favor. "Do you all think you could set aside Sunday to work on something with me? I am going to start working with the kids next week, and I want to go through it with a few novice dancers and a few who are at a little bit of a more, uh, advanced level," Brittany asked the four of them. "I'll bring cupcakes."

"Sure, Brit, whatever you need," Blaine smiled, reaching across to pat her hand. "I didn't have anything planned that day, so I'm all yours for as long as you need me."

"I am free as well, Brittany," Rachel agreed. "I would be pleased to assist you with your endeavors into professional choreography."

"Jesus, Rach, a simple yes would be fine," Puck muttered in his girlfriend's general direction. "Brit, you know I'm down for whatever."

Sam beamed at their roommates and then over at his fiancee. "Obviously I'll do it."

"Great! Rachel, I would like to pair you up with Blaine as the two featured dancers in the piece since your skill level is a little more advanced than the other boys," Brittany declared. "Puck and Sam will work together as background dancers."

"Wait! You want me to dance with Sam?" Puck asked incredulously. "I only agreed to help you because I thought it meant I'd get a chance to feel up Berry."

"That's not the only reason you agreed, Tiara," Brittany said sharply, looking him straight in the eye threateningly. His jaw snapped shut quickly and the others looked between the perky blonde and self-professed badass. "While Sam is accomplished in his own right, both of your skills are not exactly suited to something that has Broadway-style dancing. Rachie and Blainers have that kind of training."

"Tiara?"

"Shut it, Hobbit," Puck snapped at Blaine. "Fine, whatever, Brit."

"That's what I thought," she smiled smartly. "I'll see you all at 8 a.m."

"8 a.m.?!"

"Puck, seriously, tiara."

"Yeah, yeah, 8 a.m."

He might have not been the most agreeable student she had ever had, but Puck showed up in the living room ready to go with the rest of the flatmates. They spent six hours going through the piece, and by the time they were done, the five of them looked like they were ready to take the Great White Way by storm. Brittany even coerced them into all agreeing to go with her to the school the first day to perform the piece so the students could see the moves with some continuity and fluidity before she started breaking it down with them.

She should have known that things were going too well when she found out that her last class of the day was cancelled the following Tuesday, giving her a rare afternoon off with no looming deadlines or lessons in sight. Brittany went over to her favorite dance shop to pick up a new pair of half-sole lyrical dance shoes. She grabbed a chocolate cookie from the bakery next door and walked home as slowly as she could, just enjoying her treat and the hustle and bustle of the city. She came around the corner down the street from the loft humming some song she vaguely remembered from glee in high school when she saw the familiar head of dark hair standing outside their building.

Brittany kept her pace steady as she walked back the rest of the way to the loft. Santana stood up as she approached, her smile wide as she reached out her arms to greet her. Brittany allowed her old friend to hug her briefly before stepping back to put the necessary distance between them. She hated how Santana briefly flinched in hurt, but she couldn't do this with her former girlfriend. She was someone's fiancee now, and that changed everything for Brittany.

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were engaged, that you said yes," Santana said. "Well, I guess I more read about it. When I didn't see you at Christmas, I figured something was up. I tried to ask your mom about it when I ran into her at the bank, but she just said that you were fine. It's all anyone that I asked said. And then yesterday, I see that you and Trouty finally updated your Facebook relationship statuses to engaged. When did it happen?"

"Before the holidays," Brittany said as she went to unlock the door to let her into the building. She held the door open for Santana, not wanting to have what could be a messy confrontation out on the sidewalk. "And stop calling him Trouty. His name is Sam."

They were quiet in the elevator ride upstairs, but the temporary silence quickly ended once Santana was in the loft. She looked at the collage of photographs that littered the refrigerator door and snarled particularly at the one of Sam and Brittany kissing the night they got engaged. Santana snatched it off the door and held it up demonstratively. "This is really what you want?" she scoffed. "This can't be what you want. The Brittany I know wouldn't settle, not when she has all these dreams that are within her reach. The Brittany I know wouldn't get married in college."

"You don't know me anymore."

"Oh, I know you," Santana proclaimed confidently, dropping the photo on the counter as she stepped into Brittany's personal space. "I know that you're ticklish behind your right knee but not your left one. I know that you like to comb your purple My Little Pony when you are really mad because it distracts you. I know that you like to sit in an empty bathtub and sing Mariah Carey songs when you're sad. I know everything about you. And right now, I know that part of you still wants me. I know that part of you also still loves me."

Brittany exhaled tiredly. "We've been through this."

"And yet, same result..."

"No, San, it's not," Brittany retorted angrily. She never yelled. "I left all of my Little Pony figurines in Lima. When I'm mad, I talk to Puck now because he tells me stupid jokes to cheer me up. And when I'm sad, I talk to Rachel because we eat all of her vegan ice cream until I don't want to cry anymore. I'm still ticklish behind my right knee and not the left, but Blaine knows that from when he accidentally grabbed me there during the swing class he took with me last fall. And all of me, every little bit, only wants to be with Sam, is only in love with the man who is going to be my husband. I still care about you, San, I always will. It's just not like that anymore."

Santana looked at Brittany like she didn't believe her. "Remember how I sang you 'Mine' back in high school?" she asked, Brittany nodding in response. "I knew it was the only way you would really get what I was trying to say. I need for you to get this now too. This is my way of saying what you need to hear."

"Maybe if you're lucky, I'll show you what I've got. But let's get one thing straight, dear, I get what I want," Santana sang seductively, playing up the raspy quality of her voice as she looked straight into Brittany's eyes. "I'm not like the rest. Let's have a dance while our souls get undressed. I don't care much for small talk. There's not need to say a thing more. I can make you feel something lovely that you've never felt before."

She rubbed her hands down Brittany's arm as she danced behind her, her body pressed to Brittany's back as she worked her way toward the floor. "Maybe if you're lucky, you'll show me what you've got. But let's get something straight, dear, I get what I want," she murmured. Santana snaked her way back up Brittany's body. "Darling, don't step on my toes. Behave, I'm in control. I'm not the girl who will chase you. I don't need a Pepe Le Peu. But if it's a good time you're after, then there's plenty of things we can do."

"Maybe if you're lucky, you'll show you what I've got." She stepped back, grabbing Brittany's hands and looking back into her eyes. Their gazes clicked intently. "But let's get one thing straight, dear, I get what I want."

Brittany yanked her hands back. "You need to leave."

"Just think about it. I'll be back soon," Santana promised, leaning over to smack a kiss on Brittany's cheek. She sashayed through the kitchen and beneath Rachel's outstretched arm holding the door open. She had just come home to see this little scene playing out. "Close your mouth, Berry. You're starting to look like Trouty!"

"His name is Sam!" Brittany screamed as the door slammed shut. She crumpled to her knees right where she stood, sending Rachel scurrying across the floor. The brunette wrapped her arms around Brittany's back. "I don't know why she keeps doing this."

"Because she's Santana and she thinks she can," Rachel said softly. "She may be my friend and I know she means a great deal to Noah, but we honestly don't understand what she is doing either, Brit. Noah has tried to tell her to stay away from you. I've tried to talk sense into her. We don't even know what's going on with Quinn and her anymore. Santana just won't listen to anyone."

Brittany pushed her hair out of her eyes. "She gets like that," she shrugged. "When I mad her that Lebanese shirt in high school, it was like this. She refused to listen to what I was telling her because I knew it was right. Santana thinks that I am the answer to all her problems but I'm not. I just want her to leave me alone, Rachel. I love Sam; he makes me happy."

"I know, sweetie," Rachel said softly, stroking Brittany's hair as she hugged her. She heard the apartment door open and shut somewhere behind her but didn't move away from her friend.

"I feel like this sight is totally wasted on me," Blaine announced as he came into the living room and sat down across from the two girls. "Puck or Sam would totally appreciate seeing you two wrapped in each other, but it does absolutely nothing for me. A shame, really, isn't it?"

Brittany laughed as she peaked at the charming man sitting across from her. "You're so funny, Blainers," she giggled. He scooted over so that he was sitting beside her, his arm entwined with hers while Rachel's still rested around her shoulders. "Santana was here."

"I know, I saw her on the sidewalk. She insulted my bow tie."

"I like it," Brittany replied easily, reaching up to tweak the cobalt blue tie with the tiny yellow ducks. "Then again, I did pick it out for you."

"And I think it's fun, one of my favorites," he reassured her. "I know how hard this is right now for you, Brit. Santana was the first person you ever loved, and that kind of thing doesn't come along every day. However, most first loves end."

She looked up at him. "But you're still thinking of getting back with Kurt?"

Blaine looked over at Rachel and then back at the blonde. "Yes, I am, but it is different for Kurt and me," he tried to explain. "I said that most first loves end but not all of them. Some of them stick around. I'm still not sure if that applies to Kurt and me, but I am sure of one thing and that is that I have never seen you happier than you've been this past month with Sam."

"Brit, it's okay that you are confused, it's a natural reaction. However, I know that you are sure about wanting to be with Sam or you would have never said yes to marrying him," Rachel told her. "I don't think you could have done that with even an ounce of doubt in your heart."

"And if Finn showed up here...?"

"Finn and I have had our third act, and I do not wish to revisit the calamity that Finchel ended in," Rachel announced. "I am with Puck, which is exactly where I want to be. I love him, am in love with him, and there is no one else for me."

"You know I've always been a Puckleberry fan," Brittany smiled.

"And I'm a Bram fan," Rachel replied. "Honey, I love Santana, but she is not good for you. Look how she has made you feel the last few times you've seen her. She cut you out of her life a long time ago, and now that she has decided she wants you back in it, she shows up demanding that you give in to her way. We're not in high school anymore. She can't tell you what to do."

"But I still miss her, guys. I want her in my life."

Blaine squeezed her hand. "Then maybe you lay out your conditions," he suggested. "Tell Santana that you would love it if you guys could be friends. Let it be on your own terms for once, Brit. If Santana really loves you, she'll want to be part of your life no matter what."

"Is that how you feel about Kurt?"

Blaine nodded thoughtfully. "It's how I know that I need to give us a second chance."

"Wait, Klaine is going to be back on?!" Rachel exclaimed, clapping giddily. "I had no idea..."

"I made everyone promise not to tell you until I was sure," he said. "I only decided a couple days ago, and you two are the first to know. I haven't told Sam yet, not even Kurt knows my answer."

Brittany wrapped her arms around both of them then in a tight group hug. "I love you guys, you're the best roommates ever!" she said. "Thank you for listening to me and helping me figure this out."

She didn't ask them to keep it quiet because she had every intention of telling Sam everything. She knew that she was only proving Santana right if she kept it a secret, and she didn't want to have any of those with Sam. She stayed up waiting for him until he came home late from giving guitar lessons to a pair of seven-year-old twins in the Village. He was tired when he finally collapsed into their bed, and she almost didn't have the heart to tell him then.

"I need to tell you something."

Sam turned over in the dark and reached for her. She settled against his chest as his hands played the drawstring in her yoga pants. "What's up?"

"Santana showed up here today."

"Dammit, Brit," he groaned, but she was happy when he didn't release his hold on her. "Why does she keep doing this to you - to us?"

"Because San is selfish," Brittany said, and she thought about how it was one of the few times she had ever said something truly negative about the Latina. "She has also loved me longer than anyone other than my parents, and I guess she thinks that entitles her to a few things, like showing up when she wants or saying thing that are actually pretty hurtful. It used to make it okay with me too, but it's not like that anymore. I don't care as much when it's just me but it hurts you too now. I don't like that part."

"I love you," he murmured, kissing her hair messily. "You've got such a good heart, Brit, but you don't need to worry about me. I just want to know that you're okay, that you're not having any doubts."

"None at all," she promised. "That's why I am telling you this. Santana thinks she knows me, but she doesn't anymore. You guys here are the people that know me the way that she used to, and that still makes me sad. I miss being her friend, Sammy. I love you, want to marry you and be your wife, but I still want to have her in my life. Is that even allowed?"

Sam stroked her back tenderly. "Of course it is, Brit, I trust you."

"She won't be my best friend, that spot belongs to Puck. I just think I'd like to know her again. We have too much history for me not to have her around."

"I think that sounds like a great idea," he agreed. "I'm all in favor of anything that is going to make you happy."

She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest and pressing a little kiss against his shirt. Then, she pulled back excitedly and looked at her fiancee. "Did Blaine tell you that he is totally getting back with Kurt?! Klaine is back on, Sammy!"

Several hours later, Brittany called Santana's cell phone and asked her to meet at a coffee shop near Julliard. She had an hour between classes and wanted to have the conversation as soon as possible so she could quit worrying. The Latina was already waiting for her with a cup of coffee pressed between her hands when Brittany arrived. She dropped her dance bag in the booth and slid in the seat across from her before she could stand up to hug her in greeting.

"I thought about what you said and I talked to Rachel and Blaine. I also talked to Sam," Brittany announced. "Santana, I meant what I said yesterday. I want to marry him. I am going to be his wife, and nothing you can say or do will change that. I know that's hard, it wasn't easy seeing you with someone else at first either. But I chose Sam just like you chose to leave me a long time ago. It's okay now, this is the way it's supposed to be."

"But, I love you, Brit Brit..."

"I love you too, San, I always will," Brittany told her. "But only as a friend."

"So that's it?"

"No, I am hoping we can still be friends," she suggested. "Actually, I kind of demand it. It's been a long time, San, I've missed being your bestie."

"Demand it, huh? You've sure gotten bossy."

"I think Rachel has rubbed off on me," she giggled. "And being best friends with Puck has given me an edgy side, I think."

"You guys are like really happy here, huh?"

Brittany smiled fondly as she thought of her roommates. "Yeah, we get by."

Later, in her jazz class, Brittany put all the emotion of the last two days into her performance and allowed herself to sing along in a dance class for the first time in a very long time. It was a goodbye to Santana, a hello to a future with Sam. She could see the clear convergence of her former and forever loves now, and she was in a good place. There was a lot to look forward to for Brittany.

"Only to one heart I can give today. Be I can be man full of color, be I can be man, black or white. But to only to one heart I can be tonight," she sang. "Haunted love is all that I feel when you're passing by. Haunted love is all that I see, it's there in your eyes. And I say, no, don't pass me over. No, don't pass me by. See, I can see good things for you and I. Yeah, good things for you."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Get What I Want" by Bitter:Sweet and "Good Thing" by the BoDeans._


	15. Rachel is Rare

"So I have an idea I think would be beneficial to our mutual best friend," Rachel suggested one afternoon a couple weeks before Valentine's Day. February was just setting in, and the harsh temperatures of mid-winter had sent most New Yorkers indoors. "I was hoping you'd be willing to help me because somebody refuses to get involved."

Puck grabbed his messenger bag from the counter and kissed the top of his girlfriend's head messily. "There is absolutely no way I am getting caught up in Beyonce and the Hobbit's drama, babe. It's there stuff to figure out, and I am thinking the last thing they need is for us to get in the middle of it."

"Noah!" she said indiginantly, reaching up to smooth down her hair. "Anyhow, as I was saying, Samuel, I was thinking that we could put together a little surprise date for Blaine and Kurt when he comes to town Valentine's Day weekend. I think we both know that's where they're headed."

"I don't know, Rach."

"See, Berry, even Sammy here think it's stupid to get involved."

"Aren't you supposed to be at work, Noah?"

"Yeah, I love you too, Rach," he muttered before kissing her quickly. "I'll be late, don't wait up."

"I never do," she grimaced, swatting at him playfully to get him away from where he was mussing her hair again. "Samuel, I just think we owe it to Blaine to make sure that he is happy. He has really struggled this year, and he has been so wonderfully supportive of both of us."

Sam appeared to think about it for a minute before he finally nodded. "He was pretty great about the whole engagement, so I guess it's the least I could do. What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we could do a candelight dinner in the loft for them, complete with entertainment. I was actually sort of hoping you'd even sing something with me," she told him. She reached over and pulled a piece of sheet music from her pink folder, the one that she had labeled "Klaine 2.0" when she had started to work on her little project. "I heard it the other day when I was going through the music on Noah's computer and thought it would be perfect."

Quickly scanning over the lyrics, Sam agreed to work on the piece with her and said that Brittany could probably get some free food from the Italian place next to her studio. Rachel said that despite his opinion that she was overstepping her bounds, Puck had agreed to get them a bottle of wine. They departed with a promise to rehearse later in the week after he'd had some time to work out the chords. Rachel was thrilled that someone was on board with her plans and couldn't help but whistling all the way to work.

It had been hard to find work when she had lost her scholarship, but she had been lucky enough to fall into an assistant position at this impossibly tiny independent recording studio in Hell's Kitchen. The pay was just barely above minimum wage and the hours were irregular at best; however, they let her sit in on the sessions and didn't really require her to do much more than pick up coffee and answer the phones. Plus, she had even talked her academic advisor into giving her internship credit so that the hours didn't cut into her school schedule.

The other great thing about the studio was that they were understanding about her erratic schedule. Noah had started going home nearly every weekend now that he had managed to get Friday's off from both school and work. He'd fly out early thanks to a stipend from his mom's insurance company and take her to chemo. Rachel went with him as much as they could afford, both of them splitting the ticket costs and the others picking up the slack whenever she couldn't make it home to Ohio. They were headed there this weekend, and she could tell that he was especially worried about the trip when they both got home late that night and collapsed together into her bed without even as much as a chaste kiss.

"Where's your head at?"

"Bex said Ma's been really tired this week," he told her in the dark. "I'm struggling with this arrangement that I've been working on for my blues class, my head's just not in it. This next round of chemo is a strong one, Rach, the doc says it's going to be really tough."

"You're worried about her," she retorted, her response a statement and not a question. "I'll tell you what. Why don't I juggle my schedule around a little to get Thursday off and we'll fly out a day early. We can probably even get out Wednesday night if you want so you can spend some extra time with them before the appointment."

"Sometime with my girls - all my girls - would be great," he decided, reaching for her blindly to bring her body to his. He kissed the top of her head tenderly. "You're pretty great, you know that?"

"It's part of my natural charm."

Puck was asleep before the wheels even left the runway a few days later, and Rachel spent the duration of the flight review her notes for her classes. She woke him when they were approaching Columbus, shaking him slightly so he could wake slowly like he preferred. She led him to the car she'd rented and let him sleep until they pulled up in his mom's driveway. He didn't even wait for her as he headed inside. Rachel could hear his mother's pleased cries all the way from the street.

"Where is she? Where is that angel?"

"I'm right here," Rachel said as she came into the living room, kick off her shoes and dropping the keys on the table on her way by. She went straight into Sarah Puckerman's waiting arms. Rachel loved the way his mother hugged her; it was warm and inviting in a maternal way that she had always craved as a child. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now," she smiled genuinely, patting the girl's hand before moving over to hug her son again. "You should have told me you were coming. I would have stopped by the store, washed the sheets."

"We're here to take care of you, Ma," he reminded her affectionately, and Rachel felt her heart swell at how he was with his mother. "I'm gonna go up and check on Bex. I'll be right back, you girls play nice."

Rachel waited until he was upstairs before she led Sarah to the kitchen table. She went to work making tea, pulling out the kind she knew Sarah liked and putting the kettle on the stove. She was at home in Noah's house, and Sarah was looking at her like she loved the way she belonged there. "How's my Noah really doing, sweetheart?"

Taking the seat opposite Puck's mother, she couldn't help but smile a little at the question. "He's doing okay, I promise. He works really hard and worried about you two a lot, but he's managing," she said. It was mostly true, though she left out the parts about how little he slept or how he still cried every once in awhile when he had to leave Lima. "I'm really proud of him. He's pretty amazing."

"Having you makes it easier for him," Sarah said knowingly. "I'm not sure that I've thanked you for that yet. Coming here all these times, understanding when he has to be gone so much, I appreciate it, Rachel. You take care of him when he's taking care of me, and I don't think you have any idea how much that means to both of us."

"I'm where I want to be," she promised, reaching across the table to squeeze Sarah's hand. "We take care of him in New York, I promise. Sam distracts him when he needs that and Blaine is always making sure that he's eating properly. He talks to Brittany about a lot of stuff and I'm surprised how open he's been with me. He gets by, Sarah. The last thing you should worry about is him."

"I know I don't have to because of you, because of you all," she admitted. "It helps knowing that he'll be alright if..." Her voice trailed off as his footsteps pounded on the stairs. "Well, you know. Don't say anything to Noah, please. He'll just get upset."

"It'll be our secret," Rachel smiled as her boyfriend came into the kitchen.

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Just a little girl talk, honey, nothing to worry about," Sarah replied dismissively. "Now sit down and tell me about your classes this week. How was your test in jazz?"

Later, after she can hear his mother snoring from the sleeping pill she took and Puck had checked to make sure that Becca was knocked out, she climbed into his childhood bed next to him. "You know, I would have given anything to get you in my bed in high school," he admitted, playing with the ends of her hair as she snuggled against him. "Of course, you thought I was a total tool and worshipped at the Finn alter back then."

"I do believe you got me into my bed a few times, Noah," she reminded him. "Besides, the timing is better this way. We both had to grow up a little before we were ready for each other."

"Hey, can I play you something?"

She nodded in the dark and realized he couldn't see her. "Of course, you know I love your voice."

He rummaged around without turning on the light, somehow managing to find his guitar and get it out of its case. "I think this is the arrangement I am going to go with for my blues thing," he explained. "I heard the song awhile back when we were hanging out at the loft and you sounded so pretty singing it. It kinda stuck with me ever since."

"I want you and I want you, the right way and the right way," he sang, strumming along softly with his guitar. His fingers were barely just plucking the strings as to not wake his mother and his sister. "I want you, yes, I do, but I want you to want me too. Want you to want me, baby, and I want it to be the right way, just like I want you."

She moved a little so she could just see the profile of his face through the dim light coming in through the window. His eyes were closed, this small but playful smile on his lips. "I give you all the love I want in return, sweet darlin, but half a love is all I feelt. It's too bad, it's just too sad. You don't want me now but I'm gonna change your mind - some way, somehow, oh, baby.

"I want you the right way. I want you but I want you to want me too," he went on, his voice softer than before. She can feel how much he means the words and loves how he's altered the classic to make it his own bluesy ballad. "Want you to want me, baby, just like I want you."

"This one-way love is just a fantasy, oh, sugar. To share is precious, pure and fair," he finished. "Don't play with something you should cherish for life, oh, baby. Don't you wanna care? Ain't it lonely out there?"

She waited until he had put the guitar on the floor before she moved into his lap. "You know that there is nothing one-way about this, don't you?"

"It's just a song, Rach."

"You have to know, Noah. I've never felt this before, and I almost married another man. I think that speaks to how deeply I love you," she whispered, her forehead pressed to his. "I am always going to want you, just want to be your girl."

He chuckled a little at that, kissing her quickly before pulling her into a hug. "So perfect," he murmured into her hair. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you..."

"Hmm?"

"Will you be my Valentine?"

"Of course, will you be mine?"

"For as long as you'll have me," he pledged, his voice uncharacteristically vulnerable. "There really is no other girl out there like you, Rach, no one for me but you."

Rachel agreed and they celebrated very quietly with the door locked and his stereo softly playing in vain hope that it would muffled whatever sounds she accidentally made whenever he got too good at what they both knew were among his many areas of expertise. The rest of the weekend was spent in a similarly happy haze, even after the chemo appointment, which actually went better than expected. By the time they were back in New York on Sunday night, Rachel was basically walking on air and Puck was almost sore from how much Rachel had worn his body out.

The week before Valentine's Day flew by, and before she knew it, Rachel was picking up a nervous Kurt from JFK. Her perpetually pale best friend was dressed to the nines when he stepped off the plane and literally skipped into her arms. "You look stunning, Diva," he told her approvingly as they made their way down to the taxi stand. "Is that man of yours to blame for that glowing complexion?"

"Love definitely agrees with me," she smiled shyly. "It's been a good month."

"How's his mom?"

"Doing better than expected actually," she replied. "Sarah goes back for more tests at the beginning of March to see if the chemo is working. Puck is going to fly out to go with her. I wanted to go but I have midterms that week as do Samuel and Brittany. Blaine is actually going to accompany him, so that should be interesting."

"Blaine said that the two of them have been hanging out."

"We all do, the five of us together or whoever is just around," Rachel shrugged as she climbed into the backseat of the yellow cab currently waiting for them at the curb. She didn't even consider that it could be odd to an outsider how well they all got along now. Their social dynamics had been different in high school when most of their old friends had last really known all five of them. She felt oddly protective of her little New York family, even needlessly with someone as close to her as Kurt. "It's good to have you here. It's just not quite the same without you."

"As much as I love the California sun and adore Mercedes, I have to admit that I do miss the city and you," he smiled, reaching down to squeeze her hand. "But it's been good being there with her. She was my best friend when I didn't have anyone, and we sort of lost track of that somewhere along the way. I think we both needed this time together."

Rachel spent the rest of the day catching up with Kurt and shopping while they waited for the others to get home from class. Brittany was the first one to show up, looking exhausted until she noticed the fashionista sitting on the living room sofa. She jumped on the couch excitedly, screaming something about dolphins and unicorns. Puck turned up a little bit later with his guitar strapped to his back. He settled into an armchair in the living room and caught up with Kurt while Brittany grabbed a shower and Rachel started on dinner. Sam joined them shortly after when he came back from his workout. Blaine was the last one to get home, and even Puck murmured a soft "aw" when the two of them reunited with a tight hug.

They all give the sort-of-couple privacy later when they head to Blaine's room to talk. Brittany and Puck fall into some intricate game of Call of Duty online with Jake and Tina, a ritual from that year when they'd all still been in Lima without her that Rachel still doesn't quite understand. Sam played with them most of the time, but Rachel had dragged him out to the fire escape to practice their piece. Once she was finally satisfied with how they sounded, Sam took over Brittany's controller and she pretty much gave up any hope of having quality time with her boyfriend that night. She ended up in Sam and Brittany's bed watching "Sleeping Beauty" on DVD with the blonde, both of them falling asleep before the guys were done.

She woke up the next morning with Brittany wrapped around her side and Puck leering suggestively from where he stood next to the bed. Everyone knew that Brit was a cuddler, and it didn't really matter what warm body ended up next to her. Instead of addressing her boyfriend, she just yanked Sam off the Puck's futon since her boyfriend had slept in her bed. She reminded everyone of their plans for the night, particularly going over Brittany's important assignment so she wouldn't forget.

Several hours later, Rachel was pleased at how the loft looked. There were flowers and candles everywhere thanks to her very thrifty negotiations with the nice elderly couple at the Asian market down the block. Brittany had brought home a nice lasagna and creme brûlée, which paired well with the wine Noah had snagged from the bar. Kurt had nearly started to cry when he had walked into the apartment to find their gift to the couple. Blaine had only hugged his two best friends and whispered his quiet thanks to both of them.

"And now, for the entertainment portion of tonight," Sam announced as he pulled out his guitar. Rachel sat down behind her keyboard and started to play along.

"I don't get many things right the first time. In fact, I am told that a lot," she sang, her fingers lightly playing over the keys. "Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls, have brought me here."

"And where was I before the day that I first saw your lovely face?" Sam asked in return. "Now I see it every day."

"And I know that I am," they sang in unison. "I am, I am, the luckiest."

"What if I'd been born fifty years before you, in a house, on the street where you live?" Sam went on, his voice soft and gentle. "Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike. Would I know?"

"And in a wide sea of eyes, I see one pair that I recognize," Rachel added before they sang together, "And I know that I am, I am, I am, the luckiest."

"I love you more than I have every found a way to say to you," Sam wailed. Both of them watched as Blaine gazed fondly at Kurt. Love was definitely in the air. "Next door, there's an ol dman who lived to his 90s and one day, passed away in his sleep. And his wife, she stayed for a couple of days and passed away."

Rachel smiled at her two friends. "I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong."

"That I know. That I am," they finished in unison. "I am, oh, I am the luckiest."

After Sam and Rachel had left Kurt and Blaine the loft to finish reconciling, he took her arm and led her through the busy streets of New York so they could meet up with Brittany and Puck at his bar. They stopped outside the window when they got there, watching from a distance as the two of them talked inside at their favorite booth.

"How'd we get so lucky?" Sam asked, his arm around her shoulders. She smiled up at him and shrugged as if she didn't have an answer. Then he tugged on her wrist and pulled her toward the entrance. "C'mon before they drink up everything in the place."

Rachel asked Puck that same question later when they were both a little drunk and making out in her bed. He just grinned at her and told her that she was stupid hot, She wasn't really sure that qualified as an answer but decided that it really didn't matter how she had gotten there. It only mattered that she - that they - had ended up together. It was starting to feel like that was how it was always supposed to have been.

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "I Want You" by Marvin Gaye and "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds._


	16. Sam is Silly

"We're having a party."

It was a week after Valentine's Day when Puck made the announcement over a brunch organized by Blaine as a way to thank the rest of the roommates for doing their part in the Klaine reconciliation the previous weekend. Sam smiled over his cup of coffee at the others, half-expecting Rachel to argue in the way she always did whenever Puck suggested that they have a lot of people over. However, he was surprised when he saw her beaming at her boyfriend as if the world revolved around him. Paired with Brittany's obvious excitement and Blaine's seemingly lack of opinion one way or the other, it looked as if the loft was going to have its first official big blowout.

"Just make sure that the invitations say BYOB," Puck instructed Rachel as she started to write out a to-do list and assign different duties to everyone. "The last thing we need to do is pay for a shit-ton of people we don't know to get drunk."

"Dude, you work at a bar," Sam pointed out. "You always get us stuff."

"Yeah, us," Puck emphasized. "I don't mind gettin' shit for us, that goes without saying. You guys don't have to worry about getting booze, the Puckerone's got your back. It's the rest of those fools that need to provide."

"Maybe we could invite some of the old glee kids," Brittany suggested. Sam smiled at her encouragingly, knowing that she was still working on her friendship with Santana. "I think I could probably get San and Quinn to take the train down from Boston. Maybe some of the others would like to come in for a weekend."

Blaine grinned at the suggestion. "I'm sure it wouldn't take much to get Kurt and Mercedes here," he pointed out. "And I know that Artie has been talking about coming to the city."

"Man, I miss Wheels," Puck said affectionately. "I'll work on getting Chang and Finnocence here." He paused briefly to glance over at Rachel, who only smiled and nodded a little. "Who else is missing?"

"I will talk to Tina," Rachel offered. "We've been talking about getting her up for a girls' weekend with Blaine and me for awhile. It'll be the perfect excuse if she could come."

"And there's totally enough room for everyone to stay with us for the weekend," Sam pointed out. "We could get a ton of sleeping bags from that Salvation Army place over by that Greek diner and just camp out on the floor."

"I love camping!" Brittany announced excitedly, clapping her hands and bouncing a little in her seat. Sam reached over and kissed her across the table, which resulted in Blaine and Rachel making an "aw" sound while Puck tossed his used paper napkin at Sam's head. "Can we make s'mores?"

"We can't start a campfire, Brit," Puck reminded her affectionately. She blushed a little at her best friend's answer but shrugged anyhow. "But we could probably figure out a way to do it on the stove or something." No one could stand to see her disappointed, not even the badass that was Noah Puckerman.

And so it was decided that the five Lima transplants would have a party. They each invited five friends they knew from New York as well as their old friends from back in Lima. By the time everyone had gotten their complete list of confirmed attendees, they figured they had about thirty people that would be in the loft. Puck and Sam spent an entire day rounding up enough sleeping bags and air mattresses to accommodate their out-of-town guests. Rachel and Blaine worked together to get the food together and set up a buffet in the kitchen. Brittany spent her time blowing up balloons and organizing lengthy playlists that would keep them rocking well into the night.

"Alright, I am going to go with Blaine to pick up the first set of arrivals," Sam announced a few hours before the party. "We'll get Mike, Mercedes and Kurt. Puck will over to LaGuardia to get Finn and Tina. Brit, you're going to go with Rach to get Santana and Q at the train station. Everyone got it?"

"Aye, aye, captain!" Puck said with a mock salute while reaching over Rachel's shoulder to dip his finger in the garlic dip she'd been mixing up. She slapped his hand playfully, causing him to recoil. "Damn, Rach, watch your nails!"

"Be careful," Brittany announced as she walked him to the door, smacking a kiss on her cheek. "Make sure he doesn't get lost, Blaine. Got your compass?"

"Right here," he said, patting his pocket. He reached out and twisted her engagement ring carefully. Their eyes met for a meaningful moment, and she knew he was reminding her that they were engaged and that whatever Santana threw at her tonight wouldn't do anything to change that. "Call me when you're headed home, okay?"

She leaned up to kiss him on the mouth this time. "We're gonna be good, Sammy," she promised as she pulled back, never breaking their eye contact. "She can't touch us. We're forever."

He knew that she didn't need to say it for him to know it was true, but he was glad to hear the words nonetheless. Sam was quiet the first part of the ride to JFK. Blaine finally turned in his seat to look up at his best friend. "Worried about Santana, huh?"

"She just gets in Brit's head sometimes and confuses her," Sam explained. "I mean, I know Brittany loves me and wants to be my wife. I don't doubt that. I just don't want Santana to do anything else to make her doubt it."

"She's a smart girl, your fiancee. Just trust that she has this under control," Blaine advised. "She's never let you down before. I don't think Brit is about to start doing that now. Besides, she didn't say anything about you seeing Mercedes. Give her that much in return."

Sam knew that he was right and reached out to clap his best friend on the shoulder in thanks. "You're a good friend, Blaine," he retorted. "I know we haven't had a ton of bro time lately, but after the party, we need to have a bro day just the two of us. I heard that there was a new comic shop opening up, so we could do that and have carbs."

"Sounds good," he said before thinking a moment. "Just don't tell Rachel about the carbs."

Blaine was a nervous ball of energy when they finally got to the airport, something that wasn't settled until he saw Kurt come skipping (literally) down the tunnel and out of the terminal. There was squealing and Sam wasn't sure if it was his friend or Kurt, but he was happy for them regardless. Mercedes trailed slowly behind, managing to haul both her and Kurt's luggage. Sam stepped up to take a majority of the bags out of her hands.

"Thanks," she smiled, her face lighting up as she blew her bangs out of her face. "Kurt took off, and I didn't have the heart to bring him back. He was so excited to see his boy."

"I think the feeling is mutual," Sam replied, gesturing to where the two boys were still hugging beneath the arrivals and departures electronic sign. "How was the flight?"

"Long! I wanted to get some sleep since I just got back into LA last night, but Kurt was so excited that he wouldn't shut up," she laughed. "I'm just hoping that this weekend will wear him out and I'll have some time to sleep on the flight back. I have to be in the studio early Monday morning. You'll never guess who I'm recording with!"

He could tell from her tone it must be someone amazing. "Who?"

"Mariah!" she said, her eyes wide with excitement. "I am doing some background vocals for a few songs on her new album. I know it's not exactly a duet, but I'll get credit. On a Mariah Carey record, Sam, can you believe it?!"

"I told you that you'd make it," he reminded her affectionately, reaching over to hug her. He was very proud of Mercedes and how far she had come since those days when she had thought she didn't have what it took to make it in the industry. He had never been happier to see someone be wrong. "I just hope that the rest of us will get our chance."

"You will," she said confidently. "You and Brittany are both so talented. I have no doubt you're going to have amazing careers and a great marriage and a brood of cute little blonde kids that are going to be even more talented."

"But not more talented than me!" a familiar voice announced from behind him. Sam grinned as he turned around to see the lanky Mike Chang standing there. He reached out and half-hugged his old friend more stepping aside so that he could kiss Mercedes on the cheek. "It's so good to see you guys."

A few hours later, their Lima friends were mixed with their New York friends throughout the loft. Sam sat on the kitchen counter, Brittany standing between his legs, talking to Mike about things in Chicago. He looked around to see Rachel on Puck's lap on the couch, deep in conversation with Kurt and Mercedes. Finn and Tina were involved in some game of beer pong with Quinn and Blaine, and Santana was swirling Artie around on the dance floor. It was nice to have them all there, and he felt happy to see his two worlds so flawlessly merging.

"Won't you tell me what you're thinking of and would you be an outlaw for my love." Sam could hear Mercedes and Rachel singing together. "If it's so then let me know. If it's no, well, I can go. I won't make you, oh!"

"I'm gonna go talk to San," Brittany announced when Puck came over. She kissed Sam on the cheek and wiggled her fingers at the other guys before disappearing toward the makeshift dance floor. She called out to Rachel, who left Kurt and now Tina to talk on the couch, to dance with her friends. Finn and Quinn had stopped playing their game to talk to Blaine in a quieter corner of the loft.

"Look at our girls, man," Puck murmured to Sam. Mike chuckled heartily as the three of them watched the girls dance against each other. Sam didn't like the way that Santana had set her hands low on Brittany's hips, but he did like how she turned away and put Rachel between them. "And to think, I'm the only one who has had all three of them."

"Dude," Sam said sharply. "She's my fiancee."

"She's my best friend, it was a long time ago. I'm just sayin'..."

"Well, don't," Sam laughed, shaking his head. "I don't need a reminder that you've been there, alright? Say it again and I'll trick Finn into giving you a lengthy explanation about his sex life with Rach."

Puck wrinkled his nose. "Man, c'mon."

"God, I've missed you guys," Mike laughed.

Finn came over then and the four of them started to talk about sports. Blaine joined them eventually once Kurt had pulled the girls toward the other side of the room to catch up. Sam felt bad when the New York friends left one by one since they hadn't really hung out with anyone them, but there had always been something special about this group to make them sort of forget that anyone else existed. When it was just the Lima kids, they turned down the lights, dropped the music to a more respectable level and started to veg around the living room.

Sam pulled Brittany toward him on their air mattress, burying his nose in her hair as she leaned back against his chest. He looked around the little circle. Puck was laid out on his back, Rachel perpendicular to him with her head on his chest. Her feet were in Kurt's lap, who was sitting next to Blaine beneath his arm. Mercedes, Artie and Mike were across from them, looking down at photos from her tour on her phone. Quinn and Santana were laying together in a double-zipped bag, and Tina was leaning a little against Finn, causing Sam to wonder briefly when that happened.

"You know, we're really a twisted bunch if you think about it," Santana announced between twirling Quinn's golden lock around her left index finger. "I mean, I know we've talked about it before, but we've had some sick combinations. I've been with most of the guys and a few of the girls here. Puck's at least made out with every chick besides Other Asian, and that's only skimming the surface of all these relationships."

"I don't think we need to be reminded, Santana," Rachel said. "We're all aware of our history."

"I actually think it's kind of nice," Artie said with a shrug. "I like that a lot of us ended up together. We're a family, it works for us."

"Speaking of which," Tina piped up. "Um, so, Finn and I are kind of dating. Or hanging out. Or whatever, we haven't really talked about it."

"Dating," Finn corrected her. "Tina and I are dating."

"Anyone surprised by that after tonight?" Mike asked rhetorically, laughing as his ex-girlfriend blushed. "That's awesome, you guys. It's weird but I can see it."

Quinn sat up and looked around at everyone. "Well, since it's time for confessions, Santana and I broke up," she said nervously. "I don't think I make a very good lesbian."

"I beg to differ," Santana snorted. Quinn elbowed her gently. It was clear that the two were still close. "I'm actually kind of seeing this girl from BU. Quinn approves."

"You guys are so weird," Puck shook his head. "So we got Klaine 2.0, Brit and Sam are engaged, I'm with Berry and Finnocence somehow landed Other Asian. I guess that just leaves Q, Artie, 'Cedes and Chang to get together." He exchanged a look with Sam. They knew that Artie had always had a thing for the blonde former cheerleader. "Q, why don't you warm up Wheels over there?"

"Puckerman, shut it," Artie muttered behind closed lips, his eyes falling shut behind his thick glasses. Quinn laughed prettily reaching over to grab his hand and swing it between them. "Oh, um, okay."

They all eventually stopped talking and fell asleep around the loft. They still had two days left together, time to relive old high school memories and make a few new grownup ones. Sam was the first to wake up, and he headed to the kitchen to make coffee on autopilot. Santana and Tina wandered in not too much later, sitting silently at the counter with him while they waited for the timer to indicate that it was ready. When everyone else ended up in there one by one, he knew it was only a matter of time before someone made the inevitable suggestion.

"We should sing," Finn announced as he tucked Tina under his enormous arm.

"I'm gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket," Quinn and Rachel sang together on the hook. "I'm hunting, looking for a come up. This is freakin' awesome."

"I'm so pumped about some shit from the thrift shop. Ice on the fringe, it's so damn frosty," Finn spit. "That people like 'Damn, that's a cold ass honkey."

"Rollin in, hella deep, heading to the mezzanine. Dressed in all pink 'cept my gaor shoes, those are green," Brittany went on. "Draped in leopard mink, girls standin' netxt o me. Probably shoulda washed this, smells like R. Kelly's sheets."

Rachel wrinkled her nose as Blaine continued. "But it was 99 cents. Coppin' it, washin' it, bout to go and get some compliments. Passin up those moccasins someone els's been walkin in."

"I'm stuntin' and flossin' and savin' my money and I'm hella happy that's a bargain bitch," Mike rapped. "I'm a take your grandpa's style. I'm a take your grandpa's style. No, for real, ask your grandpa, can I have his hand-me downs?"

"Velour jumpsuit and some house slippers. Dookie brown leather jacket that I found diggin'," Mercedes went on. "They had a broken keyboard, I bought a broken keyboard. I bought a skeet blanket, then I bought a knee board."

Puck leaned forward. "Hello, hello, my ace man, my Mello. John Wayne ain't go nothing on my fringe game, hell no. I could take some Pro Wings, make them cool sell those."

"I'm gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket," Tina and Kurt harmonized together. "I'm hunting, looking for a come up. This is freakin' awesome."

"What you know about rockin' a wolf on your noggin? What you knowin about wearin' a fur fox skin?" Artie rapped. "I'm digging, I'm digging, I'm searching right through that luggage. One man's trash, that's another man's come-up. Thank you gradad for donating that plaid button-up shirt."

"'Cause right now I'm up in here stuntin', I'm at the Goodwill you can find me in the Uptons. I'm not, I'm not sick of searching in that section," Santana continued. "Your grammy, your auntie, your mama, your mammy. I'll take those flannel zebra jammies, second-hand, I rock that."  
They took turns until the song was finished. And then, all together, they sang the bridge out. Sam couldn't believe how great they still sounded together and how awesome it was to have them around. "I wear your grandad's clothes. I look incredible. I'm in this big ass coat from that thrift shop down the road." He had no way of knowing just how short that peace among the group would be.

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz and "Thirteen" by Big Star._


	17. Puck is Preoccupied

It started as a good night and ended with Puck standing alone in the middle of the living room with his arms outstretched, keeping the two very separated groups on either side of him at bay.

He couldn't stand to look up at Rachel, who was standing to his left with her hands clamped over her mouth. She was tucked between Blaine and Finn and standing just in front of Quinn, Artie and Sam. Most of that group was shooting daggers to the people on his right. Tina, Mercedes and Kurt were huddled together in unity and Santana was looking quite menacing from her post beside Mike. Only Brittany was missing, and that was because the blonde had locked herself in the hallway bathroom and refused to go out.

The story of how they had ended up there was a long one. Dinner had gone well enough when they had all headed out to Manhattan that Saturday evening. It was his first night off in awhile that didn't have him headed to Lima, and he was looking forward to hanging out with Rachel and all their friends. She looked so pretty in her navy dress, giggling happily with Quinn and Tina while they all waited for cabs. Kurt and Blaine were still on Cloud Nine after their reunion and were chattering relentlessly with Finn and Mercedes nearby. Mike and Sam were wrapped up in some intricate hand slapping game with Artie, and Brittany had pulled Santana aside to teach her some dance routine she had been working on.

"Alright, we have cabs," Quinn announced when the first of the yellow cars pulled up outside the restaurant. "Who's riding with who?"

"I'll go on ahead with Tina and Finn to get the loft opened up," Rachel offered, looking over her shoulder at Puck for his unnecessary permission. Once he had shrugged noncommittally, Rachel grabbed her Asian friend's hand and pushed her into the cab first. Finn ambled by and awkwardly folded himself into the backseat between the two girls. "We'll see you all when you arrive."

Puck would later find out that it took Finn exactly two blocks to say something utterly stupid about his past with Rachel, Tina another half block to start crying and Rachel a mere four blocks before she forced the cab to pull over so that she could throw a proper fit over nothing on the sidewalk. When Finn got out to chase after her, Tina made the driver take off without them, and they hadn't seen her again until she showed up fifteen minutes ago.

Meanwhile, Rachel and Finn had been unsuccessful in hailing a replacement cab and ended up trudging toward the subway when they failed to come up with another solution. Puck had naturally pointed out that they could have called any one of their friends to get one of the cabs sent their way, but the point seemed to be lost on Rachel at that point. She had admitted once she had shown up at the loft that Finn had said that he had always thought that it would be him living in New York with Rachel, and Puck could honestly say he didn't blame Tina for being upset. Rachel, of course, was flattered. He still didn't get her sometimes.

While all of that was going on, Sam and Brittany were already arguing when she said that she was going to take the cab with Santana rather than with Sam or anyone else at all. She kept telling him that it would give them time to talk, but Sam could only see the predatory glint in the Latina's eye that told him that letting Brittany go alone would end very bad. When Brittany basically slammed the door in Sam's face, he knew that he was pretty much screwed. Twenty minutes later, Brittany locked the door to the bathroom at the loft, and no one had been able to talk to her sense.

"What the hell did you do to my fiancée?"

"I didn't do anything," Santana insisted once again. One look at her and Puck knew that she was lying. "I just reminded her what it used to be like with us. Apparently she missed it more than she though."

"You bitch," Sam snarled. He was rarely angry and never cursed. "If you weren't a woman…"

"Don't let it stop you, Trouty!"

Puck whirled on his heel and looked at her dead in the eye. "Shut up. Just stop, both of you. This isn't helping, Britt," he said evenly. How was he the voice of reason in this group right now? "I seriously cannot believe you would kiss her, do that to her, after everything she has told you."

"These things happen," she said bitterly before looking over at Quinn. "Right, Q?"

"Are you serious right now, Lopez?"

"I saw you, Fabray," she shot back. "Seriously? Wheels?"

"Jealous that another one of your girls prefers me to you?" Artie asked rhetorically.

The Artie-Quinn factor was one that Puck had to admit had thrown him off. He had seen the two of them looking at each other all weekend, but he had thought that things were cool with Santana and Quinn. It was only after Quinn had snuck out of the restaurant "to get some air" and Artie had taken twenty minutes in the bathroom that someone had gone out to check on them. Santana had volunteered, only to find Quinn kneeling in front of Artie outside the restaurant doors with her lips very firmly planted to his.

Puck knew that had to hurt Santana. Even if she didn't want to be with the blonde anymore, she also didn't want anyone else to have her. He'd been there himself, both watching Quinn be with someone else and having Santana's undeserved jealousy directed at him. When Santana was pushed to the limit, she always acted out. It explained how they had gotten from Artie and Quinn's kiss to the one she had forced on Brittany in the cab.

"Now what's going on with Beyonce and the Hobbit?" Puck asked. He had left the restaurant with Mercedes and Mike before that had happened.

"Why don't you ask Kurt?"

"Seriously, Blaine, we're going to do this now?"

"You told me it was over."

"It is over!"

"It's clearly not."

Quinn, the one person who had been in the cab with them, translated the whole misunderstanding for the rest of the group. It seemed that Kurt had received a phone call when they were on the way back to the loft, and he may or may not have ended the conversation with a perfunctory "I love you" without thinking. Blaine had been understandably angry. Kurt had tried to say that they were just friends, but for Blaine, it felt like he was being used in a very messed-up situation. To be fair, he wouldn't really allow Kurt to explain himself, so it was all based on assumptions. Assumptions that he seemed perfectly willing to still accept, Puck noted, from the way the two were still glaring at each other.

"So let me get this straight, Tina is not talking to Finn or Rachel. Kurt and Blaine are not talking. Sam is not talking to Santana, who is not talking to Quinn or Artie. Brittany isn't talking to any of you," Puck summarized. He then looked over at Mercedes and Mike. "Where do you two fit?"

"Solidarity," Mercedes said, wrapping her arms around Kurt and Tina. "I got their backs."

"Dude, I was just coming back from the kitchen and Santana told me she would break my kneecap if I didn't side with her," Mike replied, holding his hands up in front of his chest defensively. "I'm just as lost as you."

Puck's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled out to see a message from his sister. He shook his head silently, quickly typing a reply back to her, before he pocketed it again. "These are not problems. These stupid little fights, they're absolutely meaningless," he said softly. He was looking down at the floor, and it was then that both Rachel and Finn knew whatever that message had said was bad. "Life is too short to get caught up in this drama all the time. We're not in high school anymore, it's time to move on."

He paced across the floor for a moment before turning back to regard his friends. "Santana, I have loved you in one way or another since we were fourteen, but you have got to stop doing this. Seriously, just stop," he insisted, his eyes locking with hers. "I know you love Brittany, San, but she's with Sam now. She's happy, really happy, and they are going to get married whether you want them to or not. You need to figure out a way to be supportive of that or you are going to lose her altogether. Stop putting her through this."

"And you," he continued, turning to look at Sam. "I know what she did is all kinds of messed up and that it sucks, but you screaming at her is not going to help Britt one bit. You know our girl, and you know how bad she is feeling in there right now. The two of you have got to figure out a way to get along for her sake. She deserves more than either of you is giving her right now."

He moved on to Quinn and Artie. "Q, you know how Santana gets and you knew her head was still messed up when you came here this weekend," he told her knowingly. She had known Santana as long and as well as he had. "I get that you have feelings and that things are supposed to be over, but I think you need to talk to her and make sure that things are as cool as you think before you just start to move on. Otherwise, no one is going to survive intact."

"Now, as for you two, this is just stupid. You love Kurt, I know as much because you've told us all repeatedly, and you have got to trust him if this bicoastal thing is ever going to work," Puck insisted, pulling Kurt and Blaine toward the center of the room. "Kurt, dude, you know you can't tell another dude you love him. It's not kosher, man. Blaine, hear him out before you start making all these assumptions or whatever. I love you, bro, but you kinda get wrapped up in your own head like Berry does. Rather than fighting and putting your friends in the middle, why don't you try actually listening to each other so that you can work this out?"

Kurt started to say something but Puck held up his hand. "I'm not done yet," he announced before moving to Tina and Finn. "You are a moron, man. Seriously, you're talking about being in New York with my girl in front of your new girl? Even you cannot be that dense," Puck shook his head. "Let's not even get into the issues I have with this. Instead, let's just focus on Tina. Do you want to be with her? I mean, really be with her? Because if you do, you have got to let go of the past. No more Quinn, no more Rachel, nothing that happened before Tina matters anymore. If you don't get your head in the game, you're going to lose her, man. This girl here, she's a catch."

Tina smiled up at him gratefully as Puck wrapped his arm around her in a side hug. "But seriously, Other Asian, you can't just go ditching people because you're upset. Some serious shit coulda gone down tonight and you wouldn't have felt quite so smug if something happened to them," he pointed out. "And I know how easy it is to just be emotional or whatever, God knows I probably don't have any room to talk. But that's not you, Tina. You're better than that."

"Which brings me to Rachel," he declared. He shook his head sadly as he looked at her. "Santana is not the only one who needs to grow up and stop being the girl she used to be in high school." He saw her wince and knew his words were harsh, but he'd had enough of the insecure person she turned into whenever Finn showed up. "We're supposed to be together. When Finn says shit like that, I don't care if he doesn't mean it. You need to stick up for us instead of basking in the glow of his compliments. If you still need that to be validated, then I don't know why we're together."

"Noah…"

"Enough, Rach, for now, I've had enough," he said softly. He couldn't look at her, couldn't look at any of them right then. "I am going to go out to the fire escape to get some air. I don't want anyone to follow me either. Just give me some room."

The living room was silent as Puck headed toward the kitchen and climbed out the window. He stepped out onto the metal grate and took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of the cold air filling his lungs. He pulled the window mostly closed behind him before walking over to the edge. It was one of the only places in New York he knew of where he could be truly alone. He came out there to think a lot, to sing, to work through whatever was fumbling around in his brain. He had meant what he had said earlier to his friends. That stuff didn't matter. The message he'd received, that was the important stuff. It was the stuff that changed lives.

"Yes, I understand that every life must end, uh huh. As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, uh huh," he sang softly to himself as he stared up at the moon. "Oh, I'm a lucky man, to count on both hands, the ones I love. Some folks have one, yeah, others they've got none. Stay with me, let's just breathe."

"Practiced all my sins, never gonna let me win, uh huh," came the familiar voice of Brittany behind him. She was sitting in the open window sill of the bathroom, her long legs dangling over the side just above the fire escape. "Under everything, just another human being, uh huh. I don't wanna hurt, there's so much in this world to make me bleed. Stay with me, you're all I see…"

He came over to help her climb out onto the makeshift balcony. "Did I say that I need you? Did I say that I want you?" they harmonized in unison. "Oh, if I didn't, I'm a fool, you see. No one knows this more than me."

"As I come clean, I wonder every day, as I look upon your face, uh huh," Puck wailed loudly, his voice echoing off the nearby buildings. "Everything you gave and nothing you would save, oh no. Nothing you would take, everything you gave…"

"Did I say that I need you? Oh, did I say that I want you?" they sang together again. "Oh, if I didn't, I'm a fool you see. No one knows this more than me. And I come clean."

"Nothing you would take," Brittany sang. "Everything you gave."

"Hold me 'til I die," he finished, turning to look over the dark city. "Meet you on the other side."

They were both silent for several minutes after he had sung that last note. Brittany just stood at his side, holding his hand quietly, knowing that whatever had made her sad before couldn't even start to compare to what was going on with her best friend. He leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes, pushing the tears back down to the pit of his stomach where he belonged.

"I'll call my mom," she said softly. "We can get on the redeye back to Lima."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Bex needs me there."

"We'll go together. I could use some time away from New York."

"Away from Sam?"

"And Santana and school and everything."

Puck thought about Rachel for a minute. "I know the feeling," he admitted, "though it seems stupid that the thing I don't seem to need time away from is a disease that seems to slowly be killing my mom."

"She's not going to die, Puck."

"Brit, you don't know that."

"Yes, I do," she insisted. "And I'll tell you the same thing I told Sam, I'll believe if you can't. I'm really good at it."

"Yeah, you are," he acknowledged with a little smile. "What do I say to the others?"

"I'll take care of it," she offered. "I heard everything you said while I was in the bathroom. You've done enough for tonight. I think it's my turn. Just hang out here for a few and I'll be back."

Brittany left the window cracked so that Puck could hear what she was saying. She told Santana that it would probably be best if she headed back to Boston. She then asked Mike and Mercedes if they could take the others out to the pub around the corner while she talked to her roommates. Everyone sort of just went along with the program because it was rare to ever see Brittany this serious. While they were busy putting on their coats, Brittany grabbed Finn's elbow and asked him to stay behind.

"I'm only going to go through this once because I need to call my mom and get us a flight out of here," she told her roommates and Finn quietly in the kitchen. "Puck got a message, and I don't know what it says. I don't really need to know. I just know he needs to go home and I'm going to go with him." Rachel started to say something. "No arguments. Sam, can you go throw some things in a bag for me? Rachel, do you think you can pack for him?"

The two were stunned at her easy dismissal but went on to do it anyhow. "Blaine, I need you to call Puck's boss tomorrow to let them know what's going on. Can you also take care of everyone else? I know stuff is messed up right now, but I'm counting on you."

"I got ya, Brit," he promised, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "I'm sorry we all got upset earlier."

"Water under the bridge, we got bigger priorities," she said softly. "He needs us, Blaine Warbler." She then turned to look at her taller counterpart. "He needs all of us, both of his best friends. Can you get your flight changed?"

"Yeah, I'll figure something out," he said as he pulled out his phone to make a call. "Blaine, can you…?"

"I'll talk to Tina," he promised. "I'm just gonna go out and talk to Puck if that's okay." Brittany must have nodded her permission because he was at Puck's side a minute later. Blaine looked at Puck as if he didn't know what to say, and puck could see the tears threatening to fall. He almost felt bad for the guy because he knew he was lost. "Puck, I'm…" His voice trailed off. "What can I do?"

"Take care of Rach while I'm gone," he said. "I can't take her this time. I know I'm pushing her away, but I need time."

"I'll take care of her, I promise," he said as Brittany slipped back out. "I'll take care of them both."

Blaine awkwardly hugged Puck before disappearing inside. "Finn's coming," Brittany said. "Don't you argue with me either. You need him too. He knows your family. It'll help." She was quiet a moment. "It's bad, isn't it?"

"It's progressed," he said quietly. "The doctor told her she might want to think about getting her affairs in order. She wasn't going to tell either of us but Becca overheard her on the phone."

She didn't have any words. She just patted his forearm and replied, "I'm going to go call my mom to get our tickets taken care of."

Sam came out next and just stood next to him on the fire escape. They had never been ones to really talk a lot. Sam slung his arm over Puck's shoulder and kind of hugged him for a moment before slipping back inside without a word. It was actually kind of perfect in its own way, Puck thought. He knew Sam cared.

He also knew that the crying brunette who was waiting in the kitchen cared. Rachel cared a lot. "Hey, none of those," he whispered as he came over and wrapped his arms around her. "This isn't about you, Rach, I swear. I'm not mad about any of that other stuff. I just need to go home for awhile. My mom's bad, babe, really bad. I need to be there and I need it to be simple. This, us, just isn't going to be for a bit. I can't process what happened tonight and deal with it at the same time."

"But you can deal with Finn?"

"He knows my mom, she thinks of him like a son," he shrugged. "Please don't make this harder on me, Rach. I can't take it if you're not okay with this. I know it's not fair but please, just tell me you're okay."

"I'm scared, Noah."

"I know, me too, babe," he admitted. "But not about us. You're the only thing I'm sure about right now. That's why I'm doing this."

"That makes no sense," she cried. "Noah, please."

He hated how desperate she sounded right then. He hated how she couldn't just understand. He hated how she was making this about her. He hated the stupid tears in her eyes. He didn't hate her though; he loved her. He just couldn't take her this time. He needed it be about him for once.

Puck cried all the way to the airport after he left her sobbing like that in the kitchen. Brittany held his hand and Finn kept his arm around his shaking shoulders and neither of them asked him to do anything. They understood something that Rachel wasn't able to get earlier.

"When I die and they lay me to rest, gonna go to the place that's the best. When I lay me down to die, goin' up to the spirit in the sky," Finn sang softly as they made their way through a dark tunnel.

Puck needed to do this his own way. He just hoped that Rachel would eventually understand.

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Just Breathe" by Pearl Jam and "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum. This took a decidedly darker turn than I expected. It's just sort of what happened when I started to write. Oh, those tricky muses, they can be so difficult to control sometimes._


	18. Blaine is Balanced

The loft was quiet for those days after Puck and Brittany left to be in Lima. They were gone exactly a week, seven days without saying a word to anyone who lived at the apartment. Sam got daily texts and emails from Brittany explaining that things were pretty back with the Puckerman, but Rachel didn't get so much as an acknowledgement of Puck's existence. Blaine hated how silent it was without just two of them, but he had to admit that he much preferred them to the tears. Between Rachel and Sam and himself, there were a lot of them that week.

"Rach, he didn't break up with you."

"He might as well have," she sobbed into her elbow on Tuesday when they were sitting at the table. They were supposed to be working on a project they were doing together for their Modern Classics seminar, but she couldn't seem to focus on anything other than her empty inbox. "He said that he needed time away from me."

"I don't think it was like that exactly," Blaine said in Puck's defense. The truth was that he couldn't imagine what the guy was going through. "I just think he needs to be able to worry about that without worrying about you, too. You know he loves you; it's not like he's going to run off with another girl."

"Then why could he let Brittany come with him?"

"Because things are easy with her, Rach. He cares about her, she's his best friend, but he's not in love with her. Yeah, it would be hard on him if he lost her, but he could survive it. He can't replace you," Blaine explained. It was how he had felt about Kurt, how he still felt. "I think the thing you didn't hear that he said was that this isn't about you. You have got to stop thinking about what this did to you. He wouldn't have done it if he wasn't in hell."

Rachel looked much like the insecure junior she'd been when he had first met her right then, right down to the knee socks she was wearing with one of Puck's hoodies and her tiny plaid shorts. "I miss him."

"I know, sweetheart," he exhaled patiently. "We all do, we miss them both."

Of course, he had expected Sam to be better, but the truth was that he wasn't faring much better without his fiancee. Blaine got to be his shoulder to cry on the next afternoon when Rachel was filling in on Brittany's dance lessons. They were supposed to be watching an Indians Spring Training game together and drinking beer to ward off the midweek slump, but he had watched most of the game on mute while Sam lamented on and on.

"Sam, you have got to stop whining," Blaine said suddenly. "I have had my own catastrophe with Kurt this week, and you haven't asked me one time. In fact, neither you nor Rachel has acknowledged the fact that we had a fight at the same time you guys did."

"Brit and I didn't have a fight."

"Exactly my point," Blaine rolled his eyes. "She didn't say she didn't want to marry you. She is just taking care of her best friend. You'd do the same thing if it were me. Just give her a break, yeah? I know the stuff with Santana got deep, but I actually think time with Puck will help her. That guy is the biggest fan of you two happening out of any of us. He told me how good he thinks you are for Brit."

Sam blushed beneath his floppy blond mop and allowed a small but happy smile. "I just miss her, I guess," he admitted. "Dude, I'm sorry we've been a pain in the ass. Seriously, how are things with Kurt?"

"I forgave him for everything," Blaine said simply. The truth was that it had been a two-hour conversation in a very busy terminal at JFK that had convinced him that it was worth working on more. "He'll be back here for Easter. Rach and Puck aren't going home for Passover unless he needs to for his mom, and if you guys didn't have plans, I was hoping that the six of us could spend the holiday here."

"It's not like I'm going to be able to afford a plane ticket anyhow, and I think Brit would be down for sticking around after how much time she's spent flying to Ohio these past couple months," Sam answered. "I'll talk to her when she gets back on Sunday."

"Sounds like a plan," Blaine agreed. "Now can we get back to the game? I'd seriously like to have a clue what you and Puck are talking about when you start droning on and on about these guys."

Blaine managed to get through Thursday and Friday without incident. He had a lot of work to do with Rachel on the performance they were going to be giving on Saturday for a private school fundraiser they'd been hired to sing at. He also managed to swing by the bar to pick up Puck's check and drop it off at his bank for deposit. He sent a quick message to his friend to let him know that it had been taken care of but he didn't get a reply. Finn texted him later to tell him that Puck said thanks but that phones weren't allowed in certain parts of the hospital. Blaine didn't want to know what that meant.

By Saturday morning, he had taken off for a run to clear his head. He went all over their neighborhood, enjoying the rare quiet that had settled over the city in those early hours. He had just started to talk the last little bit home when he decided to stop at a used bookstore he had been eyeing for awhile. A handsome guy around his age led him to a section of biographies when Blaine said that he was interested in something about Harry S Truman. They made small talk, but Blaine had to politely decline when the guy asked for his number. He had a boyfriend now.

"Darling, you're with me, always around me. Only love, only love. Darling, I feel you, under my body. Only love, only love." Blaine had to grin when he heard that ringtone blaring from his hoodie pocket as he headed back out into the early morning."Give me shelter or show me heart. Come on love, come on love. Watch me fall apart, watch me fall apart."

"Hey, Kurt."

"Hey, Blaine, are you at home?"

"No, why?"

"You need to get home. Finn just called, Puck's mom has taken a turn for the worse," he said softly. "He couldn't call Rachel himself. He thought it would be better coming from you. I texted Sam to make sure that he was there with her now so that you could tell them both together."

Blaine took a deep breath. "Is it selfish that I really wish you were here?"

"I wish too," Kurt said softly. "She's going to need us both."

"I'm going to have my parents pay to fly the three of us home. We have to be with him," Blaine said. He could feel the tears there. "We're his family, Kurt. You guys don't understand what it's like here for us. We share everything together, and I've tried to keep it together for Rach, but it's killing me that he's trying to do this on his own."

"So don't let him."

It is that sage advice that Blaine takes to heart as he heads into the loft. Rachel was at her keyboard in the living room, sitting cross legged on the couch, plucking away at a song with absolutely no rhythm or beat. Sam was next to her, staring mindlessly at the muted television screen where some old Greek guy was cooking waffles. As soon as Rachel's dark eyes met his, he knew that she knew.

"Oh, my god."

"We're going home, all three of us," Blaine said. "I am going to pay for the tickets, we're not going to discuss it. Go pack and we'll take the first flight out we can get. I'll make sure there is a car for us on the other end."

Rachel carefully sat the keyboard on the table in front of her. "How bad is it?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "We need to go home. He needs us whether he wants to admit it or not."

There were no arguments on the very quiet flight to Columbus. Blaine's mother had a rental waiting for them at the desk when they landed, and he headed straight to the hospital rather than swinging by the Puckerman house like they usually did when one of them was in town. He was surprised to find Finn sitting in the lobby when he came in, and he almost hugged the giant because of how broken he appeared.

"They're up in oncology right now getting some tests done," he said, scrubbing at the back of his neck nervously. "I just needed to get some air. Brit's been great, but I just feel like I'm in the way."

"You're doing fine, Finn," Blaine assured him, patting his arm awkwardly. "Do you guys want to go up or...?"

"Maybe you two should go alone," Rachel suggested. "He might not want to see me."

Blaine looked at her pointedly. "You're coming."

The elevator ride upstairs was the longest one Blaine would have sworn that he had ever been on, but when the doors finally opened to the oncology waiting room, he was relieved to see Brittany and Puck sitting side by side in chairs. Brittany was asleep, her head on her arm and body turned away from Puck in a position Blaine knew could not be comfortable. Puck, however, was very much awake and his hazel eyes quickly landed on a certain brunette.

"Babe," was all he managed to get out before he choked on his own tears. Rachel reached him, leaping into his lap to wrap her arms around him. He buried his face in her chest, and Blaine felt like he was almost intruding as he watched her carefully stroke the soft hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Brit," Sam whispered softly as he slid into the seat next to Puck. The blonde girl looked up in confusion at him. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty."

"Sammy, you came!" she replied quietly, reaching over for his hand. He hugged her over the wooden arm of the chair. "I'm really glad you guys are here. Blaine, come sit." Brittany moved over in the chair enough that Blaine could slide in under her. She threw her long legs over Sam's lap and reached over her shoulder for Puck's hand. He smiled up at her gratefully and squeezed it while keep his other arm wrapped firmly around Rachel. "Now we're all connected."

Puck looked up at Rachel. "I'm sorry."

"It's over now," she assured him in a hushed tone before pressing a kiss to his neck. "I'm here, we all are. You're not going through this without your family."

"Thanks for not listening, you guys," he said to the others.

"Tell us everything," Sam ordered. "No more secrets."

So Puck explained that his mother had advanced to stage four over the past few weeks and that the doctors had wanted to try surgery as a last resort. She was scheduled to go in the next week, but when she had nearly passed out while making dinner the previous weekend, Bex had called the ambulance. She had been admitted that night, the one where Brittany and Puck left mysteriously without explanation. An emergency scan after he had arrived showed that it was worse than they thought, so the surgery had been pushed up to Tuesday. When she had coded halfway through, they knew that there were some serious complications. She still hadn't woke from her coma.

"Where's Bex now?" Rachel asked.

"With Finn's mom. Ma doesn't want her here," Puck said. "I feel guilty for leaving her alone, but I just can't leave her."

"Why don't Brittany and I take her back to your house for a sleepover?" she suggested.

"As great as that sounds, I want you here with me," he replied. "That sounds selfish."

"You get to be selfish, Puck," Blaine said. "Brit and I will have a sleepover with Becca."

"And I am going to go down and sit with Finn," Sam announced.

"Thanks, you guys..."

"Man, stop it, you don't need to thank family," Sam retorted on their behalf.

It wasn't how Blaine planned to spent his weekend, but it was exactly what their little family needed in the end. By the time four of them boarded a plane for New York on Saturday night, some things were different:

Sam and Brittany were good again, Santana long out of their mind. Sam confided in him while they waited in the security line that Brittany had told the Latina girl by phone earlier that week that they couldn't talk anymore. Her first instinct had been right; it was okay to leave some parts of your past in the past. Maybe someday Santana would be ready to be friends but now wasn't the time.

Puck and Rachel were also good again. He had decided to stay back in Lima for another week after his mom had woken up. Finn was going to be there with him, and after the tall young man had apologized to both Puck and Rachel, it was decided that he would be good company for the whole Puckerman family. Rachel hadn't cried this time when she had left Puck either. She knew that he would be home to New York soon. He had also agreed to their little Easter plan provided everything stayed on track. Hearing that the surgery had been successful and that his mom had finally stabilized went a long way in helping with that.

Blaine and Kurt were also good again, making the little relationship trifecta complete. The two of them managed to talk a few times and Becca had even insisted on Skyping him into their sleepover so he could give her a few expert makeup tips. He had also regaled them with tales of celebrity sightings in sunny LA, a much-needed reprieve considering that the Ohio winter was still in full effect. It was nice for Becca to forget even if it was only a few hours and Blaine got to see a glimpse of the guy he had first fallen in love with when they were too young to fully get what that meant.

That night, when Blaine was alone in his room, he stared up at the ceiling and started to think about God. He thought about Puck's mom and his sister and the man himself. He thought about his own parents and his brother and how lucky he was as compared to most. He thought about the Berrys and the Evans family and the Pierces. He thought about his roommates and how awesome it was that they'd shared this year together. He also thought about praying, but when he opened his mouth, all he had was a song.

"I will bend, I will break. I will do whatever it takes," he sang softly to no one, for everyone. "I will run, I will fight. I will let it go, I will stand up in the light. Tonight is the night, let it be tonight. Please, let it be tonight."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Only Love" by Ben Howard and "If I Sing It" by Obadiah Parker. I couldn't keep it sad for too long. They needed to be happy. I love them too much for it to be so dark._


	19. Sam is Soft

By the time spring break finally rolled around, all of the natives were starting to feel a little restless. With the extended vacation situated nicely around Easter, Sam had originally planned to head to Kentucky to see his family. However, when the airline tickets to Louisville skyrocketed unexpectedly and Puck's mom took a turn for the worse, he felt the need more than ever to circle the wagons back in New York and pull their little family together for a much needed holiday together. Brittany and Blaine had been on board instantly, and Puck and Rachel had eventually agreed to spend their time off school in the city together.

Puck had resumed his schedule of flying back and forth between Ohio and New York once his mom had finally woken from her coma. They'd all had a rotation going with him thanks to the generosity of Blaine's parents and their endless amount of frequent flyer miles from all their work travels. Brittany and Rachel had taken more shifts than the guys. The hectic schedule had put a little bit of a strain on Sam's relationship with his fiancée but he was trying to be patient. He was just starting to feel like there was always something.

"Just one more trip, Sammy, and then we are all going to be in New York for a week together with no obligations," Brittany promised the Friday before Spring Break began. He had imagined spending their first night of freedom together out drinking or at home doing other activities. Instead, he was going to take the familiar cab ride to JFK to say goodbye to her outside the security line. "Everyone will be here, even Kurt. It's going to be perfect!"

Sam felt the bitter reply rising up in his throat before he actually said the almost-hateful words. "When is enough going to be enough, Brit?" he asked rhetorically. Her eyes went wide as she turned away, visibly stung by his words. "I'm sorry, I just miss you. I feel like it was Santana first and now Puck. I just wish I had your attention as much as they have."

"Puck's mom could be dying, Sam," she said seriously. She covered her mouth for a moment as she lowered herself to sit on the edge of their bed. "I'm sorry that my need to be there for my best friend has been so inconvenient, but it's important that I'm there for him. He needs me."

"And what about me? I need you, Brit. When does it get to be my turn?"

"You have me for the rest of my life!"

"Do I? Because sometimes it doesn't even feel like I have you now and I am hedging my entire future on someone that seems comfortable to put everyone else first at every turn," he pointed out. "I know you love Puck, we all do. I just want to know that you love me more than everyone else."

Brittany looked up at him then, a single tear slowly rolling down her cheek. "If you can say that to me and really believe it then I don't think you know me," she whispered. "I gave up a lot for you, Sam, a lot. Santana was my best friend, the same one I'd had since I was a very little girl. I did that because I loved you and I knew that you would never be okay with her after everything that happened. But I'm not going to apologize this time. I am not doing anything wrong."

Sam took a deep breath to collect himself before kneeling on the floor in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her quivering torso and buried his face in her thick sweater. "I'm sorry, Brit, I never want to make you feel bad," he said softly before peering up at her. "I just miss my fiancée and feel like we have been fighting so hard just to have time together. The truth is that I'm jealous and it made me say some stupid stuff. I'm just scared that you're going to find something better."

"First of all, there is nothing better than you, Sam Evans," she promised him. "And secondly, the way I feel about Puck is totally different than the way that I feel about you. I think you know that by now. He's my best friend, and I need to have someone besides you that I can talk to about stuff. It's why he needs me and not just Rachel. He can be selfish with me in a way that he can't be with her."

"You're a good girl," he said, shaking his head slightly. "You're so smart and sweet and kind. How did I get so lucky?"

"You didn't give up," she reminded him. "I'm just asking you to do that now, to be patient for me. I know it's not easy and that I haven't been around as much as you're used to seeing me. I know you didn't even really mean what you said before. I miss you too, Sammy, but you have got to trust me. I'm not going anywhere."

Sam kissed her then and later carried her suitcase dutifully down to the curb. He held her hand in the backseat of the cab all the way to the airport and bought her a package of mint gum at a magazine stand so that her ears wouldn't pop on the flight. He kissed her in front of the security queue and waved once she made it safely to the other side. And then he proceeded to meet Blaine at a bar and get very, very drunk.

When he woke up the next morning, he was surprised to hear Rachel tinkering around on the piano in the living room. After turning on the coffee machine and finding a hoodie, he ended up on the hardwood floor across from her, sitting quietly while he listened to her play. "Couldn't sleep," she murmured with a soft smile when she finally looked up to acknowledge him. "I miss Noah."

"Yeah, I always sleep better when Brit's here," he admitted. "Sorry if we were noisy last night."

"You were no bother," she assured him before pecking out a few more notes. "I was thinking that I would like to do something nice for Easter, maybe sing something. I was hoping that you would consider performing with me. I thought it would be a nice gift for Noah. Maybe you could sing for Brittany."

Sam smiled and nodded eagerly. He hadn't serenaded his girl in a while. "What did you have in mind?"

"This song," she grinned before handing over a copy of sheet music. It was clear that she had known he would say yes. "I think you'll do very well as the male part of the duet."

He spent most of the day rehearsing with Rachel and by the time Blaine got back from some art exhibit neither of them had been invited to, he took over playing piano for them. They had broken eventually to grab dinner at this Indian place that Blaine liked. They went back to the loft and worked on the piece some more before they had fallen asleep right there on the living room floor while trying to plan their Easter menu for the next week. That lazy trend continued through much of the next day when Sam pulled a stack of comedy movies from his room and set up a little theatre in the living room. It was only when it was time to pick up Puck and Brittany from the airport that they finally put on some real clothes and headed back out into the world.

"You look good," Sam heard Puck mutter as soon as Rachel had gone flying into his arm at the gate. His own girlfriend was a little more reserved, trailing behind the two of them while trying to type out a message on her phone. He knew that she was checking in with her mom just like she always did after she landed. "My ma sent you guys some treats. She felt like baking this weekend, so Brit helped her and Bex hit pretty hard."

"Did you make…?"

"Yep, blondies, your favorite," Brittany promised with a sunny smile as she finally reached him. She wrapped her long arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I missed you."

"Yeah?"

"Duh, dude, she wouldn't shut up about you the whole ride home," Puck rolled his eyes as he rested his arm around Rachel's shoulders. "She was so excited about these brownies or whatever."

"Blondies," Brittany corrected him immediately. "Like Sammy and me, they're our thing." Sam smiled at her while Puck had to roll his eyes again. "So what'd you guys do without us?"

The whole rest of the week flew by and it seemed like they were just at the airport when they all turned up together to welcome Kurt back to New York. Blaine had even asked them to help him with a little number, a public display of audio affection, for his boyfriend. Sam could never turn down his best friend, Rachel could never turn down a performance, and Brittany could never turn down a chance to help her dolphin and unicorn. Puck could easily turn Blaine down, but a pouty look from Rachel was a totally different thing.

"We're not wearing matching shirts," Puck argued an hour before they were supposed to leave. "This is not McKinley and we're not in a high school glee club. My days of coordinating outfits are over, babe, even for you."

"What if they're totally badass matching outfits?" Brittany proposed. "Or like, you pick and we can match them to you."

"I highly doubt that the Hobbit and I have similar tastes, Brit," Puck pointed out. "And if I'm not gonna do it for her, don't think you're gonna get your way either."

Blaine looked up from where he was going through a stack of Puck's laundry. "What if we let you pick?"

"Then we're still matching."

"Dude, just do it," Sam said finally. "And don't give me a lecture about losing my balls. I just want to pick up Kurt so we can start drinking. I'll even buy all night if you just do this."

Puck looked over at his friend with a sly grin. "Free booze?" he asked, earning a blunt nod from Sam. "Man, now you're speaking my language. I'm in."

An hour later, the five of them were waiting at the gate dressed in dark jeans and white button-up shirts. It was hardly artistic or fancy, a far cry from the stage costumes they'd adorned back in high school. However, they were staples that all five of them happened to own and didn't make Puck feel like a wimp. Blaine had slipped Sam a $50 on the subway ride over to help cover his part of Puck's expectedly large tab. Sam had thought about turning him down but decided against it. He was a really good best friend, but he was a best friend on a budget.

"I think that's him!" Brittany whispered loudly.

"I can't believe I am doing this," Puck muttered.

"Just sing, Puck," Sam ordered.

"Noah, stop being disagreeable," Rachel commanded.

"Why is everyone teaming up on me?" he shot back.

"You guys, hit it!" Blaine retorted. "And don't mess up."

"I'd love to know just what you're thinkin.' Every little river, runnin' through your mind. You give and you take, you come and you go. You leave me here wonderin' if I'll ever know," Blaine sang, his voice adopting a slightly country twang to match the song. "How much you care or how much you don't. Whatever you need, whatever you want."

"Is this for me?" Kurt asked as he stopped in front of his friend, a wide grin on his happy face. "You guys…"

"If you're gonna be somebody's heartbreak, if you're gonna be somebody's mistake," Puck sang with Rachel, both of them ignoring Kurt's question. They were looking at each other so sweetly that even Sam felt a little queasy. "If you're gonna be somebody's first time, somebody's last time, baby, be mine. If you're lookin' to be somebody's 'just friends,' a little laughin,' a little lovin,' never callin' again, that's just fine. If you're gonna be somebody's heart break, be mine."

I guess that all I'm tryin' to tell ya, is a minute with you is better than two without you," Sam took over as Blaine crossed to kiss Kurt hello in greeting. "Oh, I won't be a fool but I can't play it cool. So I'm playin' safe and I'm breakin' the rules. I'm wishin' I had what I know that you got. So if you're comin' my way then please don't stop."

"If you're gonna be somebody's heartbreak, if you're gonna be somebody's mistake," Brittany harmonized with Blaine, both of them standing on either side of Kurt. A circle of people had stopped to watch the seemingly impromptu performance. "If you're gonna be somebody's first time, somebody's last time, baby, be mine. If you're lookin' to be somebody's 'just friends,' a little laughin,' a little lovin,' never callin' again, that's just fine. If you're gonna be somebody's heart break, be mine."

After they were done, all of the other passengers burst out in applause, and Rachel couldn't resist the urge to curtsy for her adoring fans. Puck quickly pulled her away so that they could all say hello to Kurt. He thanked the roommates for the song but was pretty much otherwise wrapped up in Blaine. Puck made some comment about needing to play loud music to drown out certain sounds at the loft tonight, to which Rachel jabbed him sharply in the ribs with her elbow. Sam was just happy that for once, all five of them were in happy relationships and that nothing was going wrong for them.

The roommates paired off Saturday to tackle their assigned tasks for the Easter dinner. Sam had taken on cooking with Blaine. Kurt and Rachel were headed out to get flowers and decorations. Brittany and Puck had been put in charge of drinks and ice. Everyone had a job to do to make the dinner perfect and since Sam rarely asked anything of anyone, he knew that they were all taking it seriously.

"Alright, so what are doing exactly?"

"I wanted to have all the staples my mom always has," Sam told Blaine. "I've got a ham and a turkey breast since Puck technically shouldn't have any pork. I also made sure to get a small portion of tofurkey for Rach."

"She'll appreciate that," Blaine smiled. "What about the sides?"

"Salad, noodles, mashed potatoes, mixed steamed vegetables, rolls, deviled eggs, fruit salad," Sam rattled off from his list. "I also have a few desserts I want to make."

"I know you mentioned something about cheesecake, which I can do pretty well."

The two of them spent the next several hours working to get whatever food they could prepped for tomorrow morning's finishing touches. Everyone else drifted in and out of the kitchen to help when they could. Brittany proved to be pretty handy with a peeler despite her inability to wield a knife. Rachel and Kurt helped mix up a batch of sugar cookies after they had finished decorating the dining area. Puck didn't really help with the food but did deem himself the official taster. It ended up being the exhausting but actually pretty fun.

It was all well worth it the next day when he sat at the head of the table, smiling at the feast in front of him and his best friends gathered around. "if you all don't mind, I would like to start this meal with a prayer that my father always says on Easter." Though they were all of varying faiths, if any at all, they knew that this was an important part of Sam's tradition. "With great joy, we come to our Easter dinner as we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. We rejoice in the resurrection of springs, as birds, flowers and fields come alive after the long sleep of winter. May we, in this Easter Sunday meal, share with them and with each other, the great joy of a blessed life. Amen."

A chorus of Amen rang out around the table and Puck was the first one to delve into the meal. They all talked and laughed and enjoyed just being together. It was easy and simple and full of love. Sam was surprised to find that he didn't feel as lonely as he had previously thought he might. Sure, his biological family was a thousand miles away but the one that he had chosen was right here. There would be other Easters in other homes with other people, but he would never have another first New York Easter in this apartment with these friends.

"Rachel and I have been working on something," Sam announced after the dishes had been cleared away.

"Blaine is going to accompany us on the piano," Rachel added as Blaine took his seat and Sam strapped his guitar over his shoulder. "This is for the three of you."

"I always liked the drama, I always liked the joke. I always liked the love, and I always liked the smoke," Sam sang. "I've never been a poster child of my days, but I've sent a lot of post cards and yours is on its way."

"I traded in my Pong hops for a bar right through my ear. It kind of hurts to sleep on, but pain's not what I fear," Rachel and Sam sang in unison. "I shiver at the prospect of being just one thing. I missed a lot of targets but never lost my aim."

"I've done a lot of research, I've read a lot of books. I've turned a lot of pages, I've seen some dirty looks," Rachel took over on her own. "But I can brave the weather for a chilly glance from you 'cause somewhere in the distance, the sun is peeking through."

Sam smiled at Brittany as Puck's eyes found Rachel's. "I've always been a flower, I've always been a tree, a cabin in the forest, a blanket on the beach," they sang together. "Never in my whole life, would I choose just one. I've always loved the moonlight. I've always felt the sun."

"Somewhere in the middle of a sunset and a dream is the prettiest gardenia," they went on.

"The prettiest gardenia," Sam echoed as Rachel repeated, "the prettiest gardenia."

"That you've ever seen," they sang together before folding together in a deep bow.

They stepped to the side and gestured to Blaine to take his own bow. Then, the three of them stood together to take another bow, Sam's guitar just sort of awkwardly swinging there.

Brittany looked up in confusion. "I don't really get that song."

"Yeah, Rach, me neither," Puck admitted.

"Well, I thought it was perfect," Kurt offered adoringly to Blaine. "You were spectacular."

"And us?" Rachel asked.

"Uh huh, you were fine too, honey," he replied distractedly.

"It was about how this guy has done all this stuff but none of it compares to finding his girl," Sam explained. "Like how I had a whole life before I figured out you were my soul mate, but none of that has meant as much as finding you."

"Aw, Sammy!"

"Why can't you be sweet like Samuel, Noah?"

"Rach, babe, c'mon, you love me as I am."

"Yeah," she smiled. "But still."

"Come on and I'll show you just how adoring and sweet I can be," he leered, waggling his eyebrows suggestively as he pulled her to her feet.

"Ugh, guys, not in here!" Blaine remarked despite the fact that Kurt was being equally as obvious about heading toward his bedroom.

Sam laughed as the two couples headed off to other parts of the loft. He leaned back on the couch, content to just sit there with Brittany's head on his shoulder. He could hear Puck and Rachel laughing in her bedroom. Soft piano music was coming from Blaine's. This wasn't usually how Easter ended back home, but he had to admit that this was pretty perfect too.

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Somebody's Heartbreak" by Hunter Hayes and "Gardenia" by Landon Pigg and Mae Whitman._


	20. Rachel is Radiant

Three days after Easter, Puck pulled Rachel out of her afternoon modern class to tell her that he had to head back to Lima. His mom, who had actually been doing pretty well the past couple weeks, had fainted when she had tried to work a half-day shift in the office at the hospital. Becca was away with a friend's family in Chicago for Spring Break, and the doctors had insisted that she couldn't be alone. Rachel had taken one look at the stricken look on his face and understood immediately what he was asking. He hadn't shown up just for the courtesy of telling her that he was leaving town; that could have been covered with a text message or voicemail with a promise to call later to explain. No, he had come to tell her himself because he needed her to go with him.

"Just let me get my things," she told him softly, reluctantly letting go of his wrist to go back into the studio. She could see him watching her through the observation window as she talked to her professor. The kind man knew of her situation and told her that it was fine, that he'd let her make it up with a double session the following week. Slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder, she briefly wondered if she could fly dressed in her leotard and baggy sweatpants. Another look at Noah's face told her that she could.

"Do you want coffee or a muffin or something?" he asked nervously once they were sitting at the gate. Rachel reached over and touched his knee briefly to stop the incessant bouncing that was starting to unnerve her. "Maybe I don't need anymore caffeine."

She smiled at him in amusement and kissed his cheek. "Let me go get us some water and one of those really good oatmeal cookies that they have at that stand over there," she suggested. "I think I can break my vegan ways this one time. Those cookies are pretty incredible from what I remember."

The grin on his face made Noah look as though he'd just won a billion dollars, and all she had to do was agree to eat a tiny bit of non-vegan food. She knew that it wasn't about that but what about she was willing to do for him. As she watched him while she waited in the queue, Rachel knew that there was little she wouldn't do for Noah Puckerman. Sure, she had always cared about him, and in the past several months, it had admittedly blossomed into all-encompassing love. However, as she admired him talking so freely to a little old lady next to him, she knew that it was different than anything she had ever felt before.

She would literally give anything to keep him safe and happy and unafraid. Even with Finn, she had still always been the most important person to her. She had loved him so completely, but her dreams had still mattered more. With Noah, she felt a responsibility to make sure he was okay, one that she didn't at all mind. Broadway and her fathers were no longer the most important things to her, the loves of her life. Not even close, that place belonged solely to Noah Puckerman.

"Here, I snagged us each one," she said as she handed over the paper sleeve with the hot cookie in it. She also slipped him the cold bottle of water. "I was just thinking, we need to talk about what we want to do next year. The end of our sophomore year is coming up and I'm guessing that Sam and Britt will want to find their own place."

He slung his arm across the back of her seat. "I know we need to talk about it and we will. I have a feeling we're going to have a lot of time to talk while we're in Ohio," he replied. "In the mean time, can we just sit here and pretend that nothing is going to change for a little while? I just want to enjoy being with you and act like there isn't anything else in the world that is wrong or matters."

The flight to Ohio was relatively uneventful, and Rachel was happy to see her fathers waiting when they landed. They had agreed to pick them up once she'd sent a quick text message at the airport explaining what was going on. They spent the brief drive to Lima talking about the flight and catching them up on school and filling them in on Sam, Brittany and Blaine. When they finally pulled up in front of the Puckerman household, she sent Noah in on his own so that she could tell them goodbye in private.

"I'm sorry that I'm not staying with you guys this time," she apologized, hugging her daddy through the open window. "I just think they could both use the extra help around here."

"It's no problem, Star," her dad promised as he reached over to answer. "I just want you to know that we are very proud of you for what you are doing for Noah and his family. It is very selfless of you to put him first when you both have such busy lives in New York. I am not sure that Rachel a few years ago would have done that."

She blushed as she looked up at her fathers. "I probably wouldn't have," she admitted. "But Noah has changed me, and I'd like to think that I have changed him. I still have the same dreams, they just include him now. I don't want to do it without him there, and if that means we have to do this part right now, I am going to be by his side every step of the way as long as he'll let me."

Rachel bid them a final farewell before heading into the house. She came into the living room without bothering to knock, only to find Noah holding his mother in the middle of the room. They were both silent, their heads tucked together. "Ma, I think it's time that we figure out if you want to keep doing this," she barely heard him say. They both looked up at each other and smiled the saddest smile Rachel had ever seen. "We have a few options once we find out these test results. If things aren't progressing like the oncologist wanted, I want you to know that Becca and I will support whatever you choose. Even if that means stopping treatment, we understand, I promise."

"I can't leave you yet," his mother said through tears. "It's not time. I'm not ready."

"Okay," he said warmly, hugging her again. "Okay."

"Hello!" Rachel announced cheerfully, sensing a need to break the sad mood in the room. She came over and hugged his mother tightly before slipping to his side. He slid his arm around her waist and squeezed her tiny frame against his. "What can I do to help out?"

"I actually need to get my medications from the pharmacy," she replied. "Noah can run to do that and pick up some lunch in the truck if you don't mind keeping me company. It will give us some time to catch up."

Rachel beamed at her and then up at her boyfriend. "That sounds wonderful," she declared, knowing how much he hated when the two of them teamed up against him. "Noah, can you also get me some hot tea? I have a little bit of a sore throat from the flight and need to make sure that I am still taking care of my voice."

"Fine, Rach," he said before kissing the top of her head. He leaned over and bussed his mom's cheek. "Alright, girls, play nice and remember the rule. No baby pictures, Ma."

Once she could hear the familiar roar of his truck backing out of the driveway, Rachel led his mother into the living room to sit down on the couch. She offered to get her something warm to drink or a blanket if she was cold, but his mother only ordered her to relax a little. "I want you to feel at home too, Rachel," she told her. "And there's a reason I asked you to stay behind. I need to say some thing to you."

"Okay..."

"Noah knows how bad this is, so I assume that you do as well. So I'm just going to drop the pretenses and acknowledge that I might not make it through this. I know we have talked about this before, but I need to tell you some other things," she said to the younger woman. "My son is a strong, proud man, and I see the ways that this and you have changed him this year. In some ways, I suppose that's good, but there are things that I know he's keeping inside. Neither you nor I can change that; however, if something happens to me, I need you to be prepared. Because it will come out eventually in one messy rush and I know you think you know now, but trust me when I say, you don't."

"I'm here whenever he needs me."

"That's good because I'm asking you to take care of my family if something happens to me. Not just Noah either but Becca and Finn too. Those three kids, biological or not, are what matter to me in this world. It's going to be hard on all three of them and they're not going to know what to do. I am going to depend on you to be strong for them, to make sure that Noah doesn't shut down and that Becca doesn't act out and that Finn doesn't try to do whatever it is he does when he thinks he's helping."

"Mrs. Puckerman, I would do anything for Noah, for this family. My future, it's with him."

"I know it's a lot to ask a young woman like you, Rachel, and trust me, I wish that I didn't have to. I wish more than anything I didn't have to think about it," she stopped suddenly, her voice thick with tears. "I don't want to imagine not seeing Noah's first big concert or see Becca get married, but knowing you will be there...I need you to take my place, Rachel. I know that you can't really, but be there for them. They're the only reason I'm still fighting."

Tears streamed down Rachel's face. "I promise," she whispered. "God, I promise."

After Puck showed back up and his mother decided to lay down for a nap, Rachel told Puck that she was going to go out for a run to clear her head. She knew that he needed to do some thing around the house anyhow, so she didn't feel bad about taking the time to herself. She wasn't sure where she was headed when she left, but her internal compass took her to Burt's shop. It was like she knew that he was going to be there and that he would somehow understand.

"Well, if it isn't the prettiest thing to ever grace my shop," Burt announced as she came through the door. Rachel smoothed her ponytail and hugged the man she had come to thing of as a surrogate father figure in her life. "Finn's in the back. You back in town with Puck to see his Ma?" Rachel nodded politely. "Tell them we're thinking of them and that we'll be over to visit soon."

Rachel promised before slipping back to the back bay where Finn was bent over an old Buick. She admired him for a moment, remembering all the times she had stood in nearly this very same place to watch him doing this. It felt like a lifetime ago and she was almost to the point where she couldn't remember what it was like to be in love with him. Time had changed so much, and she wouldn't take any of it back.

"Hey, Finn," she said as she came around to face him. He grinned up at her. "I was out for a run and thought I'd stop by."

"You guys in town to see Puck's ma?" he asked. "I heard she had an incident."

"Yes, she's not doing the best, so we thought we would come home to visit while Becca is in Chicago with her friends," she said. "I also wanted to come by to talk to you as well since we haven't really had a chance to talk about what happened in New York."

Finn straightened up and wiped his brow with a shop rag. "Shit, I'm sorry about that, Rach," he apologized. "I wasn't thinking and it was stupid."

"I just need you to understand that it's over, Finn, for good. There will be no other chances for us," she explained carefully. "What we had was amazing, and I can't imagine what my life would have been like if we hadn't happened. But we ended for a reason, and I think you still remember why. Tina is an amazing woman, Finn, she could be so good for you."

He smiled goofily at the mention of the pretty Asian girl. "I know, Rach," he promised. "She forgave me against her better judgement. I just hope you guys can too."

"Already done," she promised before hugging him impulsively. Although they had closure some time ago, this time it finally felt over. "I should get back..."

"I'll stop by while you're home to talk to Puck and to see Ma," he promised. "Take care of them, Rach. They're lucky to have you."

Rachel smiled to herself as she ran back to his house slowly, her headphones pumping music that somehow just seemed to fit. "Hang on, just hang on for a minute, I've got something to say. I'm not asking you to move on or forget it, but these are better days," the song said. "To be wrong all along and admit is not amazing grace, but to be loved like a song you remember even when you've changed."

That night, after dinner, the three of them watched a movie. His mother eventually excused herself to go to bed, and Puck took her out to the front yard to lay in the bed of his truck and stare up at the April stars. It was cold still but she felt warm pressed close to him. It was the most intimate they had ever been, which seemed crazy considering their healthy sex life.

"I was thinking about the future."

"Yeah?" Rachel asked sleepily. She turned slightly on her side to look at him in the darkness of the night. "And?"

"We should live together next year, just the two of us," he said. "I want to stay in New York if I can. I wasn't sure with my mom, but I don't know, I need to be there still. As long as things work out okay, do you want to try that with me?"

"I want to be wherever you are," she promised.

"Even if it's you and me and Becca in a tiny apartment?"

"Your family is my family, and if she needs to be in New York with us, we are going to have an amazing time," Rachel promised. If she needed to be a maternal figure, she would do it. She had meant it. She would do anything for these people. "I love you, Noah. You're not going to scare me off."

Rachel had one more trip to make the next morning. While Noah went with his mother to chemo, she met up with her fathers for brunch. She didn't wait too long before jumping right into the meat of the conversation. She had been thinking about it all night, ever since he had mentioned Becca living in New York with them.

"If Noah's mother is going to...if it comes down to the possibility of her not being here, I am going to ask Noah to marry me," she announced to them. She didn't ask for their blessing or their permission as she made the assertment. She needed them to understand that this was happening. "I want her to be there. I think it's important to her, and I know it's important to me."

"Star, but you're so young..."

"They are my family, Daddy," she replied curtly. "I will be there for him and for Becca. They are my responsibility, mine to take care of, just like I'm yours."

"You can do that without being married, Rachel."

"I know, Dad, but I can't get married with her there if she's not alive. Noah deserves to have her there, she deserves to see that," she told them. "It's not up for negotiation. I just want you to be prepared because it could happen quickly if it comes down to that."

"I really wish you'd reconsider..."

"Well, I won't," she promised. "This is what I want."

"You know we'll support you, Star," her daddy promised. "We just want you to make the right choice for you."

"And that determination in your voice tells me you believe it is," her dad added. "I'm proud of you, Rachel. We love you."

"I love you too."

Later, Rachel found a note waiting for her on Noah's pillow. The lyrics reminded her that she had made the right decision: "When we were younger, we though everyone was on our side. Then we grew a little bit and romanticized the time I saw flowers in your hair. It takes a boy to live. It takes a man to pretend he was there."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "That Wasn't Me" by Brandi Carlisle and "Flowers in Your Hair" by The Lumineers._


	21. Brittany is Believing

Brittany quickly scrolled through the messages on her phone between classes, trying to figure out if she was going to have enough time to grab lunch before her private jazz session and after the practice with her swing partner. It was near the end of the year, and her schedule was more hectic than usual. She was just about to type out an apologetic text to Sam when she noticed an email from her advisor. The subject line caught her attention and caused her to abandon her previous focus on getting a midday meal with her fiancée.

She had often thought about where she would be when she got her big break. When she was a kid, she used to follow Santana through the mall and wonder what it would be like to be discovered as a model by a passing shopper. As she grew a little older and dance became her passion, she had dreamt about a talent agent finding her in their tiny regional productions of whatever was popular at the moment. By the time she finally made it to Julliard, she knew that her chances of being found in New York were much higher than they had ever been in Lima. Even with that, she hadn't expected to find out when she was drinking a caramel Frappuccino in the middle of a busy lobby.

Her priorities quickly snapped into place and she sent off messages to Sam and her partner with apologies for having to reschedule. She then headed down to her advisor's office to find out exactly what the message meant. Although she thought she understood from reading over the proposal, she feared that she could just be getting her hopes up. This could potentially change everything.

"Brittany, we're ready to see you," the advisor said kindly before ushering her into the small conference room. These sessions were typically held in an office, but the circumstances were special. "I am sorry for the short notice, but I am so glad that you were able to meet with us. This is Xavier Adams from the Joffrey in Chicago. He's here to make you an offer."

"Miss Pierce, we saw the contemporary piece that you performed earlier this year at the sophomore showcase on the recommendation of your former partner, Michael Chang. We only have a few select positions open, but after a full review of your reel with the school, we believe that you would be a great fit."

And like that, the pieces slid into place and it became real. "You would start out as an apprentice with the promise for advancement after the first year," Xavier explained. "We want you as more than just a staple in the chorus. I want to design a piece around you and Mike. He showed me some footage from your show choir days. I think with a little more proper training, the two of you could be a real force to be reckoned with in the dance world."

Brittany looked down at her black jazz shoes and grinned. This is what dancers worked for their entire lives, and on the recommendation of a friend and shoddy footage from a couple performances, she was getting it offered to her in her early twenties. She knew that it was the opportunity of a lifetime, and she had never wanted anything more professionally. Julliard was merely preparation for what she was being offered here, but her life wasn't just about herself anymore.

"When would you need an answer?"

Xavier seemed a little shocked by the blunt question. "Well, obviously, we hope that you would accept right away given the circumstances. However, I am prepared to give you 48 hours to make your decision. I will be leaving New York with the contracts signed for next season. If you do not sign by them, the offer will become null and void."

She fiddled with her ring for a moment. "I'm engaged, sir, so please don't misunderstand my question," she told him half-apologetically. "I am totally honored by the offer, but I need to talk to him before I can really make up my mind."

"Brittany, you take the time that you need," her advisor instructed her. "Mr. Adams and I will see you the day after tomorrow once you've made your decision."

Puck came home three hours to find her sitting on the couch, her cell phone in her lap and a tiny tub of ice cream in hand. He sat down on the opposite end of the sofa and looked up at his best friend. She had been there with him through everything these past few months, and watching her now, he knew that she was trying to work something out in her head. He reached down and grabbed her foot, holding her ankle for a moment as she looked up at him.

"Oh, hey."

"Hey," he replied softly, concerned. "What's up, Britt? You get into a fight with Sam?"

She shook her head and smiled a little. "I actually got a job offer."

"Yeah? A teaching gig?"

"To join a company," she replied. "Actually, the company, the Joffrey. In Chicago, with Mike, as an apprentice with a promise for advancement. They want us to partner. It's actually kind of incredible."

"Britt, that's awesome!" Puck exclaimed, lunging across the couch to squeeze her tightly. "This is huge news. You should be excited." She managed a slightly bigger smile before her face fell again. "Oh, Sam. Sorry, I didn't think of that."

Brittany nodded slightly. "He loves it here, Puck. I can't just ask him to leave."

"Are you sure that this is really what you want?" he asked, knowing that it was rhetorical and that she did want it. "Well, Sam loves you, Britt. He believes in you more than all of us combined. You've seen that these past few months. He's stood by you through everything. If you want this, if you think your future is at the Joffrey, he is going to come with you."

"His place is here…"

"His place is with you," Puck corrected her. "Wherever that may be, Sam doesn't doubt that his place is always going to be with you."

Brittany took Puck's advice to heart before she picked up the phone a few minutes later to make another call for advice. This time it was to Mike. Her former partner admitted that he had been integral to getting her attention there but that they had chosen her on her own merits. He seemed excited at the prospect of getting to partner with her and told her that they were really great at incorporating the dancers' feedback into the pieces. Given her yearning to get more into choreography, she knew that the environment would be perfect for her future career path.

"I know that you and Sam are planning a future together in New York, Britt, but you need to consider what this could mean for your own future. If things don't work out, I don't want you to look back and regret giving up something that you've wanted for a long time," Mike advised her. "You and I both know that we don't have the shelf life that a lot of the others do. We're dancers, Britt, not singers. We're never going to make our future doing that. Sure, we could maybe do some minor Broadway stuff, but to be featured like this, it doesn't come along all that often."

"I know, I know," she allowed. "Things like this are scarce. Dance isn't permanent."

"Injuries, age, other competitors, the mood of the choreographer, the climate of the dance world – they're all factors that can make or break our ability to get booked," he reminded her. "Sam is going to support you. This is your dream. There are schools in Chicago if he wants to come here or you can do the long distance thing. Whatever it takes, we need you here. We're gonna do this, Britt. You just need to say yes."

"I want to, I do, but Sam gets to make the choice with me," she decided. "I will let you know as soon as we decide. In fact, I promise that you will be my first call."

Brittany took the rest of the day, called her mother and tried to make one of Blaine's lists of pros and cons so she could actually make this choice. When Sam finally got home from performing at the coffeehouse, he looked like he was basically dead on his feet. Brittany whipped him up some poor man's spaghetti with just simple lemon butter sauce while he showered, and the two of them had a picnic on their bedroom floor with a bottle of wine they snagged from Puck's supply.

"I need to tell you something."

Sam looked up, for mid-air. "Uh oh."

"No, it's good news, I think," she told him. "I got offered a job today at the Joffrey."

"Like in Chicago? Where Chang is?"

She nodded slowly, taking in his surprisingly happy smile. "They offered me an apprenticeship with the company with a promise for promotion. I'd be working with Mike, and it sounds like it'd be a great opportunity for me to get my feet wet with choreography."

"And you want to take it?"

"I want to have a life with you where are equal partners."

"When do you have to decide by?"

"We have to decide by tomorrow night," she emphasized. "I mean it, Sam, we are doing this together."

He reached over for her hand and squeezed it tightly. "I hear you, Britt," he assured her. "Why don't you get some sleep? We can talk more about this in the morning. I think things always seem clearer after a good night of rest, don't you?"

Brittany nodded as she pulled her hair back. She climbed up onto the mattress, leaving the plates and the wine glasses to be cleaned up in the morning. She could hear Sam humming in the bathroom as he brushed his teeth. Reaching for his guitar, she started to strum along to a song that she recognized. He was still teaching her to play but she knew enough of the chords to sort of follow along.

"I love this place, but it's haunted without you. My tired heart is beating so glow," Sam sang over the rush of the running water. "Our hearts sing less than we wanted, we wanted. Our hearts sing' cause we do not know, we do not know."

"To light the night, to help us grow, to help us grow," Brittany picked up. "It is not said I always know. You can catch me. Don't you run, don't you run. If you live another day in this happy little house, the fire here's to stay."

Sam came into the bedroom, towel over his shoulder and smiled at her spread out on the bed. "To light the night, to help us grow, to help us grow. It is not said, I always know," he sang. "Please don't make a fuss, it won't go away. The wonder of it all, the wonder that I made. I am here to stay. I am here to stay."

Brittany woke up the next morning with a note from Sam telling her that he was out for a run with Blaine. She knew that he would likely talk things over with Blaine just as she had with Puck and then Mike. Rather than spend the whole day wrapped up in her head, she decided to head to the studio to put in some time. It'd all somehow make more sense if she was moving. It's why she had been so involved in cheerleading in high school. It helped her think, and despite what anyone might have thought, that actually helped her with her studies.

She started with an easy ballet warm up, moving through the positions and into jumps and turns to get muscles nice and loose. She then transitioned into a more technical performance piece that allowed her to work her hip hop edge that she didn't usually get to put into ballet. Brittany would didn't hear or see anything else when she was dancing. She lost everything else other than the steps and the movement. The music was the one thing tethering her here to this place, to this moment. She loved it.

Brittany went up en pointe and completed a series of arabesque turns that took her from near the doorway to the far corner. Once she had worked through the pair of classical performances she had done earlier in the year, she decided that she wanted to do something with a little more energy. Jazz and contemporary had always been her favorites and when she seemed to have the most fun. She put on some Broadway piece that Rachel probably knew by heart and started to make up her own moves. She mixed the two forms along with a few ballet movements that were free and artistic enough to work with the impromptu choreography.

"I wanna raise a child, I wanna raise a child. Won't you raise a child with me? Raise a child," the music blared as Brittany threw herself to the floor for a series of rolls and tumbles. It was energetic and childlike. "We'll call her Nebraska, Nebraska Jones. She'll have your nose just so you know."

Brittany pulled up into a pirouette before doing a series of turnout steps. "I wanna settle down. I wanna settle down. Won't you settle down with me? Settle down," the song went on. She loved the buoyancy she felt in the song and translated that into a difficult tumbling pass complete with two aerials into a back handspring. "Star so light and star so bright, first star I see tonight. Star so light and star so bright, keep him by side."

There were a few more moves in passe that showed off her flexibility as the song grew to a close. "I wanna settle down, I wanna settle down. Baby, there's no need to run, I'll love you well. I wanna settle down. It's time to bring you down. On just one knee for now, let's make our vows."

Applause greeted Brittany as she stood up from her huddled finishing position on the floor. She looked up to see Sam standing in the doorway, leaning against the wooden frame. "How long have you been watching?"

"Long enough to know what we need to do," he said as he came into the room. Brittany started to stretch out in the floor, her legs perfectly spread in a center split. "You have to dance, Britt. It's what you were born to do. You could waste the next two years learning more and never get the chance you have now. You could get injured. We don't know what's going to happen. You can't let this opportunity pass you by."

That night, Brittany stopped by her advisor's office and formally accepted the contract from the Joffrey. She called Mike on the walk back to the loft and told him everything. She then dialed her parents to tell them. All three of them were happy for her, and her mother said that perhaps they'd even find them a place in Chicago where Lord Tubbington could come live. The roommates were huddled around salad and a pizza when she came in.

"Come on, Britt, grab a slice," Blaine said as she came into the kitchen.

She looked up at Puck, whose eyebrow was raised questioningly. She nodded slightly as she put a piece of pepperoni on the bright yellow place. Sam came over and sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing the top of her head.

"You guys, I have something to tell you," Brittany announced before taking a bite.

Rachel and Blaine looked up at her expectantly, Puck already relaxed in his seat.

"Actually, we have something to tell you," Sam said. "You guys, we're moving to Chicago."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Little House" by Amanda Seyfried and "Settle Down" by Kimbra._


	22. Sam is Sure

"You're doing what?"

Sam looked up from his place next to Brittany and managed a sad smile for Rachel. "We're moving to Chicago. Brittany was offered a place at the Joffrey to dance with Mike, and it's too great of a chance for her to pass up," he explained, glancing sideways at his fiancée. He was slightly surprised that Puck hadn't told Rachel every detail but not overly shocked as he was pretty good at keeping secrets, particularly when it came to his best friend. "We'll leave after finals to look for a place before taking a short break in Lima so she can see her family."

Blaine covered his mouth as he looked up at Sam with watery eyes. Sam knew that his best friend had always known that this was likely the outcome of the New York versus Chicago debate, but it didn't make it any less difficult. The truth was that Blaine and school were pretty much the only drawbacks to heading to Chicago. But there were frequent flyer miles and mutual breaks in Lima that promised that they would still each other, and he reasoned that the former Warbler would be his best friend whether or not they shared the same zip code.

"I can't believe you're not going to be here next year," Blaine finally managed as he stood up to hug Brittany. "But congratulations, Brit, this is a great opportunity."

"Oh, Blaine Warbler," Brittany exhaled as she looked up at the brunette. "You know that we are going to find somewhere big enough for you to visit all the time, right?"

Sam watched the two of them, his best friend and his best girl, and he was glad that she cared about Blaine as much as he did. "Even if you have to share a bed with Lord Tubbington, we'll make sure that we keep sheets that are just yours," Sam promised with a brave smile. He was sure about going with Brittany, about needing to support her. He just wasn't sure if he was altogether abandoning his best friend by not being in New York to support him. "C'mon, man, don't look at me like that."

"I just haven't done anything without you guys since I was a junior in high school. That's four years, seems like a lot longer though," Blaine murmured as he leaned over to hug Sam. "I'm going to miss my blondes."

"Yeah, I have to say I'm not totally psyched about not having you all in the city either," Puck admitted as he stood up to hug Brittany. "You're totally leaving me stuck with the divas. But seriously, I'm so happy for you, Brit."

"Thank you," she said before looking down at Rachel. "What do you think, Rachel?"

"You're leaving me all alone with boys!" she whined with a happy smile. "Of course I am happy for you guys! When are you going to get married though? Are you going to do it before you go to Chicago or are you going to wait?"

"The plan hasn't changed," Brittany said automatically. "Sam has two more years of college, and my mom said it's more affordable for us to not get married until after that because of student loans and stuff."

"Well, I think that this little celebration calls for more alcohol!" Puck said before disappearing toward the hall closet where he stashed a few of his belongings. He returned with a bottle of champagne with an impressive label to match. "I've been saving this for something special. I can't think of anything bigger than celebrating Brit's achievement and their big move! New York won't be the same, but we're happy for you both. Doesn't mean I'm not gonna miss the hell outta you!"

Sam woke up the next morning with an impressive hangover, and he was fairly certain there huge chunks of time from the previous night that he would never be able to remember or get back. Rather than dwelling on it and trying to figure it out, he crawled out to the kitchen to start on his post-drinking ritual of hardboiled eggs and tomato juice. He was just smashing up the peeled eggs in a bowl when Blaine came into the kitchen in search of coffee. Sam wordlessly slid an egg across the counter to his best friend before taking a seat.

"This sucks."

"Blaine, are you okay?"

"We're just not going to have that many more mornings like this," he mused sadly. "I've barely done anything since senior year with you, man, and now I have to figure out how I am going to get through the next two years and probably more without you being just down the hall or around the corner. Who else is going to go look for comic books with me? Who else is going to listen to me rant?"

"I'm pretty sure that Puck and Rachel can fulfill those two things accordingly, but I know what you mean," Sam acknowledged. "Dude, you know that I don't want to leave school, but I need to do this for Brit. I can go to school anywhere, but she can only dance at the Joffrey in Chicago."

"And you can only be my best friend in New York."

"C'mon, man, you know that's not true," Sam tilted his head. "We'll make this work. I know it's hard, but it's only because you're scared. I know you're afraid of being left alone, of being left behind, but you have to know that we would never let that happen. You're my best friend no matter where I am. If you want to come with us, Brittany would be totally on board. She'd let you live with us forever. She thinks that you and Puck are pretty much the best thing in the world. Sometimes I suspect she might even love you two more than me."

Blaine smiled affectionately then. "I'm her unicorn," he chuckled. "And I have to finish school in NYADA and am being a little bit of a whiny brat. I guess I have to remember that I am strong enough to stand on my own, huh?"

Sam shrugged. "You'll never be totally on your own," he promised. "Besides, you have Kurt now and Rachel will still be here with Puck. We'll come visit, you'll come see us. We'll see each other when we're visiting our families. We'll make it all work."

"I feel like I am trying to coordinate a long-distance relationship."

"We are, just not what you mean," Sam laughed. "You make it work with Kurt. I'm pretty sure that you and I will figure this out. Dude, I mean, there's always Skype. We'll talk as much as we always have."

"People always say that."

"But I really mean it," Sam pledged as he nudged Blaine's shoulder with his. "Do you remember that day back in high school when Becky brought the gun to school and we were all locked together in the choir room? I remember being terrified for Brit but thankful that at least you were in there. If you guys had both been out there…That wouldn't have ended well for anyone. So you have to know that I'm going to be there for you no matter what. You're my brother from another, and nothing, not even marriage or distance, is going to change that."

"Maybe I just needed to hear that."

"Maybe I just needed to say it," Sam winked. "Now that we have that covered and I have adequately stroked your ego, are you going to come out to hear me tonight? I have something planned."

Blaine looked at his friend over the rim of his mug. "Another public declaration for Brit?"

"Something like that," Sam said mysteriously. "Just make sure you're front row center by show time, okay?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

Sam eventually managed to get himself together enough to head to school to talk to his advisor about his transfer options. He knew it was late in the semester and that meant his options could be slimmer. However, he was hoping that decent grades and strong recommendations would help him find some kind of music program in the Windy City. His advisor did little to assuage his concerns but did help him narrow down the options. He settled on Columbia after he read about their production immersions and found out that his advisor knew some people there. It might be a long shot but it was one that he had to take.

It took him two hours to finish all of the paperwork, but by the time he hit send on the massively long email, he had decided to turn it over to fate and let the chips fall as they may. He had no doubt that he belonged in Chicago, and if that's where God wanted him, he'd end up there. Besides, he had to get to the coffee shop to start warming up. Blaine wasn't the only roommate whose presence had been requested. He had asked all four of them individually to come.

Sam popped in his headphones as he stepped onto the subway, allowing the busyness of the city on an otherwise mundane afternoon overtake him. "If I sing but don't have love, I waste my breath with every song. I bring my voice, a hollow noise," he sang to himself as he watched a homeless man sleep on the shoulder of an elderly Asian woman. Next to her, a pair of German students spoke to each other in their native language while a beautiful African –American couple kissed across from them. Sam loved the diversity. He loved the people. "If I speak with a silver tongue, convince a crowd, but don't have love, I leave a bitter taste with every word I say."

He carried those words with him as he stepped off the subway. They were a reminder that he had a responsibility with his music. It was something he had lost sight of in the city. He still had his Midwestern morals here but it was easy to ignore them with the pressures he was under at school. It was always busy here and maybe life would slow down a little in Chicago. He wanted to focus, and this might be his opportunity. He might not get discovered as easily there but he also might stand out more. The possibilities were endless and he felt that same familiar spark of excitement he'd had when he had come to New York.

"Hey, Evans," one of the baristas greeted him as he came into busy shop. "You're on in 20, right?"

"Yeah," he said as he readjusted his guitar strapped across his back. "Can you set up a VIP table down in front for my roommates? I have this plan."

Surprisingly, Puck was the first one to show up. Sam was just tuning his guitar in the alley behind the kitchen when the boy popped up. "Hey, I was hoping to catch you before you went on," Puck said as he leaned against the brick wall next to his friend and former teammate. "I know we didn't really talk about it earlier, but I wanted to tell you thank you. I am glad that you encouraged Brittany to go to Chicago. She deserves to have her dreams."

"You would have done the same for Rachel," Sam pointed out. "Besides, she's my dream, so this way, we both win."

"You really mean that, don't you?"

Sam grinned. "You know my girl. She's worth it."

"Yeah," Puck chuckled. "Take care of her there, Evans, I'm trusting you."

"She's still going to need you, Puck."

"I know," he replied, but Sam thought he still sounded a little relieved to hear it. "Trust me, I'll be there for her. Other than Hudson, I don't think anyone has ever been a better friend to me than Brit. It's just so unconditional, totally selfless. A guy like that, I need it. She always forgives me, and other than my Ma and Bex, no one has ever really been like that. I'm glad you make her happy."

By the time Sam took the stage, he was relieved to see all four of him roommates waiting for him at their reserved table. Blaine sat beside Puck, the two of them hunched over the latter's phone watching some video of Artie. Rachel and Brittany were looking over a guidebook Sam figured Rachel had picked p to help prepare the blonde for her new city. What was he going to do without those three next year? He might have been excited, but that was still always going to be the hardest part.

"Hello, how's everyone doin' tonight?" he asked as he sat down behind the microphone. "I am Sam Evans, and seeing as most of you are regulars, I think you know why I am here tonight. What you don't know is that we won't have many more nights like this together. I'm leaving New York.

A chorus of boos and awws rang out around the café. "I know, I know, you'll miss me because I'm awesome, but I think you'll live," he joked. "And I'm actually leaving for a really great reason. This blonde goddess down here, the crazy girl who actually said yes to becoming my wife, has gotten a contract with the very prestigious Joffrey. You all see how beautiful she is, so I think you'll see why it was easy to agree to go to Chicago."

"The one thing that makes it hard is the other three down here in front. The five of us went to high school together. We even won a national choir competition together right here in New York," he revealed. "I thought I loved them then, but it wasn't until we came to New York that we really became a family. I am lucky that I get to see my four best friends every day, and it's hard to imagine not having that next year."

"Let me tell you a little bit about these guys. You all know that Brittany is a talented dancer. What you probably don't know is that she is the funniest girl you'd ever meet. She's sweet and kind, loving and giving. She epitomizes getting to fall in love with your best friend. There is no one else on this planet for me."

"Well, I say that but then there's Blaine," Sam joked. "Blaine is the best best friend a guy could ever ask for. He is loyal and caring. He is the bravest guy I know. No one has been there for me more than he has, and I can honestly say I wouldn't have survived these past few years without his support."

"And Rachel, our little resident diva," he went on. "She is the most talented singer you could ever imagine, though Blaine does give her a run for her money. She is driven and passionate. Her dedication to the things – and the people – she loves is unmatched. She is the kind of girl you just know is going somewhere."

"Finally, there's Puck. He's the strongest person I know. He has been through some stuff, some real stuff, but he has never let that stop him from getting what he wants. I don't think he gets to hear it often enough, but I admire the man that he has become. Him and Blaine, they're my brothers. Rachel is my little sister. These people are my family. This song is for them."

"When all I have is on the floor, divided. When I'm a world away from peace. Behind your eyes is where I know I'll find it, I'll find it. Cause who you are defines my dreams," Sam sang, looking down at Rachel's smiling face and then over at Puck's careful smirk. "You already take me there. Heaven is here and now."

Blaine started to sway in his seat while Brittany was smiling at him with her beautiful face all lit up. "When I'm a brokenhearted man, complacent and tired. When I've been knocked out of the race, I've been a fool for long enough to fight it, to fight it. It's in your arms I find my place. You meet me where I am, forgive me where I am."

Sam looked over the crowd and then scanned across those four people, his biggest fans. The people that made all this okay. "Where I lose myself in grace, where I'm lost and found," he ended. "I want to lose myself in grace. Let your love reign down all over me. Cover me."

Sam finished his set and when he stepped off the stage to meet his roommates, he was immediately wrapped up in a group hug that even Puck was willing to take part in. And then, Brittany slipped her hand in his and pulled him out of the café into the New York night. Yeah, they would be hard to leave behind, but he didn't regret it. Sam was sure that he was doing the right thing by choosing Chicago, by choosing Brittany.

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Proof of Your Love" by King and Country and "You Already Take Me There" by Switchfoot._


	23. Rachel is Ready

Rachel had gotten a few important calls in her life, like when she got her official welcome to NYADA or the time she got the callback for her first Broadway role. She'd also gotten the ones that told her that Finn had been kicked out of the Army and Quinn had been in an accident. She'd been told about Noah's mother's cancer, about the shooting at McKinley, about Burt's heart attack. A lot of important news had come over these invisible waves that connected her to all the people she loved but didn't get to see every day. And on a Thursday afternoon when she had blown off her music theory class to hang out with her very adorable boyfriend, she got the phone call that she hadn't been expecting but had been waiting for her entire life.

"You have the part, Rachel," the voice on the other end, a casting director, said. "You're the lead. You're going to play Belle."

It had been one of a few auditions she had taken since that first one for her sophomore year, but it was the one that had been her fate. She had known from the moment she had taken the stage that the callback was hers, but she hadn't expected to get an offer without a second audition. The casting director she had felt that same connection instantly, rendering any other rounds of callbacks useless. They could see every singing actress in the country, but none of them were her Belle. No, that role was designed simply, perfectly, only for Rachel Berry.

"Now, I understand that you are in school, and we are willing to work with you for rehearsals so that you can finish out the year," the casting director told her. Their generosity toward her schedule proved just how much they wanted her, and Rachel knew she was lucky to even get those allowances. "We want you to understand before you accept the role the ramifications it could have on your future. There is a distinct possibility that this could turn into a full-fledged success. With you as our star and the incredible supporting cast we have in place, we have a prime placement for a theater. It could run at least a year, which means you wouldn't be able to continue with school fulltime. It also means that there could be a tour that coincides with or follows the run."

"Wow, that's a lot to take in," Rachel admitted with a heavy sigh. It was scary and exciting, and she knew that a big part of her wanted to dive right in and take the part. Another part of her, the one that was committed to a future with Noah in New York, didn't like the idea of the tour. She also really wanted to finish school. "I need some time to think about it, to talk to the school and my fathers."

"We don't need an answer until Monday," the casting director assured her. "We need you to come in Saturday to do a vocal recording for a few of the investors, just to know what they'd be putting their money into if you decide to sign with us. Look, Rachel, we knew that there were likely going to be some concerns given your place at NYADA right now, and we don't want you to commit to this unless you are fully into it. We'll talk on Monday morning about further specifics. Take the weekend to mull it over. We're here to answer any questions you might have."

"Thank you, that sounds wonderful," Rachel replied politely.

"You're welcome, and Rachel?"

"Yes?"

"Congratulations."

Rachel put down her cell phone on the kitchen counter and stared at it in disbelief. Was this really happening to her? She couldn't help but laugh to herself. She had just been offered an iconic role in a revival of an American classic, one that would put her on a marquee right in the heart of Broadway. It was everything she had ever dreamt about, and the taste she'd had the year before while in Funny Girl had been delicious. Now, she had the chance to be the star, to be the one who everyone rushed after with Playbills in hand. It was insane.

She was still waiting for Noah to get back with the Thai food they'd ordered from a few blocks over when she headed out to the balcony to clear her head a little. She needed to organize her thoughts a little before broaching the subject with her boyfriend. They'd had a wonderful but trying year, and with his mom's health still up in the air, she wasn't sure that she could spend any part of the next year away from him. There was a good chance he would need her, and if she was stuck in a theater in Portland or Austin, she wouldn't be able to rush back to Lima anytime they wanted. Even if she was just in New York, an entire production would be relying on her to perform every night. An understudy would be waiting to take her part. She'd have responsibilities and obligations that would impact her future career. The risks were big.

"What am I going to do?" she murmured to herself, looking down at the city that she now considered her home. Lima was still that, but it had never been big enough to contain her. New York was made for girls like Rachel, and she was finally getting the chance to really prove it to all those Ohio naysayers who told her she wasn't worthy of the gold stars that had always glittered in her head. "I am going to figure this out. I have to."

She had always been a big fan of the fire escape since they had moved into the loft. It was her place to think, one she shared with her roommates but never at the same time. It was her place to make sense of the nonsensical. She'd miss that private haven next year if she was crammed in some tiny apartment alone. If Noah ended up in Lima with his family or Blaine headed to the West Coast to be with Kurt, she would be the last Lima refuge left in New York. Even the thought made her feel lonely.

"The music makes me sway. The angels singing, saying we are not alone with you. I am alone, and they are too with you," she sang to herself softly. "I'm alive, I'm alive."

She didn't hear Noah come into the apartment or perch on the window sill to take in her song. She only looked down at the line of cabs and delivery trucks below and serenaded the imaginary audience that always got all her best performances. "I can feel you all around me – thickening the air I'm breathing, holding on to what I'm feeling, savoring this heart that's healing."

"So I cry," she belted out, standing up and walking to the edge. She wrapped her hands around the rails and closed her eyes painfully. "The light is white. And I see you. I'm alive, I'm alive."

Puck's soft chuckle and gentle applause immediately grounded her as she whirled around with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Noah, you scared me!"

"Sorry," he apologized with a slight smirk. He crawled out of the window and came over to sit next to her with his legs crossed and his arm around her slender shoulders. "The food's inside when you're ready to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"I can tell," he replied, concern evident in his voice. "You only sing like that when something's wrong or you're trying to work something out in your head. What's up?"

She shrugged. "Just thinking about the future."

"Yeah? Me too," he confessed. "I was thinking how much it'll suck to give up this place next year. I have loved living here. It's near everything, and we'll have to find new places to hang out and stuff."

"Apartment hunting is never fun," she moaned. "I can't believe Sam and Brit won't be here next year."

"Well, at least you'll still have me," he reminded her. "I'll still be your roommate."

Rachel turned to him with a wide smile. "You still want to live with me?"

"Duh, Berry," he deadpanned. "You're actually going to make me do this, aren't you? Look, I was hoping that you wouldn't have to make this into a grand declaration, but I know you dig this stuff. Anyways, do you want to see if we can get a lease for another year on this place? You and me, we could stay here. It's home."

"I would miss it."

"And Blaine could stay too, you know? He's ours to take care of, so he'd have to stay with us," he added, and Rachel could have sworn she loved him a little more in that moment. "What do you think?"

"I think that sounds perfect," she replied dreamily. It wasn't an agreement, but it was what she could commit to right now. It did sound perfect, but she didn't even know if any of them would be in New York come September. She also knew that she needed to talk to Noah about everything that was going on, but she didn't want to do it until after Saturday. She felt like she'd know more when she took the stage to sing. "Now how about some of that coconut soup I ordered? I'm suddenly starving."

Rachel managed to distract Puck that night and the entire day Friday without having to talk anymore about the future. She was excited Saturday when she didn't have to make any excuses about her sudden disappearance. He had picked up the lunch shift at the bar and had to do some work at Tisch before he headed over. They made plans to meet up for a quick dinner before heading back to the bar to have drinks with the others. Rachel grabbed her pink bag a few minutes after he left and headed to the theater.

Rachel still felt that familiar rush every time she took a stage. Her permanent home was right there in the middle of a theater, her guiding star was a spotlight. The thick red velvet curtains, the rows of plush seats, the musty smell of old costumes in the dressing rooms – these were things that she just naturally gravitated toward. She tried not to think about any of that as she ran through her warm-ups backstage at the beautiful and historic theater where the musical would be running. She only took the perfectly set microphone from the waiting stagehand and walked out to a single row of spectators.

"You don't even need to sing anything from the musical," the blonde casting agent told her from beside the elderly director. "Just run through a piece that shows off some of your range. We will record you and run through playback real quick to make sure we got it. It should be pretty painless."

She didn't get nervous as she nodded down at the directions. She just turned around and walked back to the middle of the stage, rolling through the mental sheet music in her head. Once she had settled on a song, she decided to just tackle it head-on and do it without the benefit of backing music.

"Once, I wanted to be the greatest. No wind or waterfall could stall me. And then came the rush of the flood, the stars at night turned deep to dust," she sang, closing her eyes and forgetting that this could do anything to change her future. She just sang for the love of doing it, a feeling that she was forever chasing and never seemed to quite catch. "Melt me down into big black armor. Leave no trace of grace, just in your honor. Lower me down to culprit south. Make 'em wash a space in town."

She lifted her arm as if she was reaching for something. "For the lead and the dregs of my bed, I've been sleeping. Lower me down, pin me in, secure the grounds for the later parade," she went on. "Once I wanted to be the greatest, two fists of solid rock with brains that could explain any feeling."

"Lower me down, pin me in, secure the grounds. For the lead and the dregs of my bed, I've been sleeping for the later parade," she continued softly, holding that last note. "Once, I wanted to be the greatest, no wind or waterfall could stall me. And then came the rush of the flood, the stars at night turned deep to dust."

Just as Puck's applause had tethered her back to earth a few days before, the clapping of the crew in the front row brought her crashing back to reality. "Rachel, that was perfect," the casting agent said as she gazed down at the viewfinder on her camera. "Absolutely beautiful, just what we wanted."

Rachel smiled and murmured her thanks before she handed the microphone back over. After going over a few of the details and getting an official copy of the contract she was being offered, she promised to call the casting agent by Monday morning and headed back out into the warm Saturday afternoon to meet up with Noah. She saw that she had a missed call from him and then a text message telling her that he would be waiting at this Irish pub that he loved and she didn't mind because they had really good battered green beans. She decided to treat herself to a cab and save her feet the aching now that they would inevitably feel after a night of dancing with Brittany later.

He was waiting at a table by the front window when she got out at the curb. She smiled at him through the thick glass, pausing outside to press her palm against his with the pane between them. He shook his head and smirked, and she knew he thought it was lame but always indulged her need for rom-com moments anyways. "Sorry I'm late," she murmured as she brushed a kiss over his lips and slid into the seat across from him.

"No big deal," he shrugged as he took a long drink of his Guinness. "Where were you anyway? The studio?"

"The theater actually."

"Theater? I didn't know you all were in rehearsals for anything. Did I miss something?"

"Sort of," she acknowledged with a wry smile. "I guess I actually need to talk to you about this now. You know how I took those auditions, right? Well, I got a callback for one last week, but then the casting director called me this week to offer me the part without a second audition. Just like that, they offered me this part, and it's big, Noah, huge. They're offering me the part of Belle in that revival of Beauty in the Beast that I mentioned."

"Babe, that's awesome!"

"Wait, there's more," she directed him. "It means that I would have to commit to being in New York for a least a year minimally. The contract has provisions for extensions for longer depending on the success of the show. The casting director told me that there is a good chance it could go on tour, so I would be pretty tied down. I'd be busy, and there wouldn't be a lot of room in my schedule for much else. I wouldn't be able to go to school, I couldn't be in Lima. The freedom I've had this year would end. It'd be right back to working full time."

Puck scratched at the back of his neck. He hadn't even thought about any of that. He had just been happy for Rachel. "I didn't know you even went out for the lead."

"I didn't," she admitted. "They asked me to try for it when I was there, but I just expected to get something in the chorus. It wouldn't have been a big deal for an understudy to fill in for me when I needed to travel or had class stuff. With the lead, that's just not possible. People would be paying to see me, and the whole show would be relying on me to be there."

"This is big."

"It is, but I want us to talk about it and decide together."

"I can't do that, Rach. I can't tell you what to do."

"Noah, look, I know we might not be engaged like Samuel and Brittany, but you are still in this with me. I won't make a decision that will very heavily impact our future without hearing your thoughts on the manner."

He reached across the table to take her hand. "I just want you to be happy. I want us to be together, and I would like for that to happen in New York. Yeah, I don't know what's going to happen with my mom, but this place – and you – they're still my home. It's where I'm rooted, where I want my future to be," he explained. "But if you need to do this, it's only for a year. We'd see each other between shows and make it work. We could talk about it when your contract comes up for renewal and see where things are then. I won't ask you to turn this down for me. You need to do what you need to do for yourself."

"I want it all," she admitted. "But don't I always?"

"We all do," he replied. "That doesn't make you a bad person, Rach, just human."

They decided that she would think about it some more and make the decision on her own on Monday. She had heard what he needed to say and had heard him clearly when he had said she needed to do this for herself. She knew that he didn't want her to resent him for or regret passing it up. He loved her and wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to live her dreams. She just needed to figure out what that looked like right now.

Monday morning, after a night out with their friends and a long talk with Blaine over coffee on Sunday afternoon, Rachel headed to the theater to meet with the director and the casting agent. She told them that she wanted to sign the contract but on her own conditions. She would give up school during the summer rehearsals but she wouldn't give up New York. She would do the run in the city and allow her understudy to take a majority of the tour dates. She would still take a few morning classes that wouldn't conflict with anything at the theater. It would be at Rachel's discretion to select which appearances she wanted to take on. She also wanted an emergency clause built into her contract just in case.

"I know it's a lot to ask," she allowed, "but it's the only way I can do this. If you really want me, if you think I'm the right girl for this, I need for us to reach this compromise. I have a life outside of Broadway and even if I used to think that this is all I ever wanted, it's not anymore. I have a family and they might need me. I need to be here if that happens."

The director excused himself to speak in private with the casting agent. When the two returned fifteen minutes later with a contract filled with red pen marks, Rachel knew that she had gotten the concessions she'd wanted. She was ecstatic to sign her name on the dotted line, complete with the signature star that had always differentiated her from the others in the past. Puck was waiting outside when she finally left the theater with the summer rehearsal schedule in hand.

"I start two weeks after classes end," she giggled, handing over the paper to see.

"Two weeks?"

"You and I are going to take a vacation to Lima to spend some time with our families and our friends," she told him with a wide grin. "I got everything I asked for, including a guarantee that I don't have to perform outside New York unless I choose. There are emergency travel dates in there, I got it all."

"So we're staying in New York?"

"Yes, we're really staying here," she laughed. "And I even got a nice little income to come with this contract, so we won't have to worry about rent next year. Noah, is this really?"

"Yeah, babe, it's really happening," he muttered just before he kissed her deeply. "This is what it looks like when all your dreams finally come true."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "The Greatest" by Cat Power and "All Around Me" by Flyleaf. Thank you to everyone who has read, left suggestions for, commented on and reviewed this story. I take them all into consideration, but this is ultimately my baby. I appreciate it all the same, and with just a few chapters left, I look hope you'll enjoy the endings I have in store._


	24. Brittany is Blissful

With everything pretty much wrapped up at Julliard, Brittany decided to take the first weeks of May to say goodbye to New York. The city had been her home for two years, and she had found herself in the Big Apple. She had never really been all that lost when it came to knowing herself, but she had learned a lot since she had Lima. Those lessons had given her the strength to move on with her life. They made her sure that she could succeed at the Joffrey, that things would be great with Sam. They didn't, however, leave her confident that she wouldn't miss her little loft family. Whether they were in Lima or New York, they would always be her people.

Rachel was the first one that Brittany asked for a free afternoon. The two of them had never really talked about Brittany's decision to leave New York, and she knew that her brunette counterpart didn't understand why anyone would ever pick Chicago over Broadway. Rachel also didn't understand loving dance more than singing and why Brittany would choose the Joffrey over Julliard. Brittany knew that there was a method to her madness, but pragmatic dreamers like Rachel didn't always get the way of her people. Maybe it was up to her to explain it.

"I want to talk to you about something," Brittany announced unexpectedly while the two of them were out browsing at a vintage shop that the blonde loved. She held up a striped tunic against her body and nodded happily to herself in the mirror. "I know that you are not happy with my choice to leave New York."

Rachel looked up from where she was thumbing through a rack of blouses. "It's not that I'm not excited for you, I'm just sad that you're going to be gone next year," she shrugged. "That's all, Brittany. I know that this is a great opportunity for you."

"It's a really great opportunity for someone like me," Brittany emphasized. "Rachel, you don't know what it's like for girls like me. When we first joined Glee sophomore year, I thought that I was always going to be destined to be a background player. And then Mr. Schue saw something in me that was special, and that was the first time someone really acknowledged that I was good at something. Dance had always been my passion, and he let me see that I could have a future with it."

"Of course you are a talented dancer, Brit," Rachel retorted. "I didn't mean that you weren't."

"I know, sweetie, I'm just trying to explain," she replied. "After I got my SAT scores, I had the chance to end up a lot of places, but Julliard was the brass ring. Like, it was the one thing I had ever really tried at other than kissing all the guys in high school. It was my ultimate goal and I got it. But when I came here, I quickly learned that to really have a future in dance, I needed to be doing it. It's not like Broadway. There, I would be in the chorus at best. There aren't a lot of starring roles for dancers, and I am a star."

Rachel smiled as Brittany went on. "At the Joffrey, dancers are the stars, and that is where people like Mike and I belong. We are okay as singers but we are amazing as dancers. Shouldn't everyone get their chance to be amazing?"

"I'm still going to miss you," Rachel countered with a small voice as she came around to hug Brittany. "But I understand why you have to do this. It's why I accepted Belle."

"And that courage is why I want to dance with Joffrey and still get my degree. I don't know how I am going to do it, but you've inspired me to want everything," Brittany revealed. "Puck may be my best friend and Blaine is my dolphin, but you are my sister, Rachel. I loved Santana and Quinn as my besties back in high school, but they weren't my sisters like you are. So it doesn't matter how far away we all are, we're family. There is nothing stronger than that."

"What are we going to do without you next year?"

"Miss us like crazy and rule this city," Brittany told her bluntly. "And come to visit lots. The three of you will come there and we'll come here. The good thing about life is if we hate it, we can always come home again. For Sam and me, home is where you guys are."

With the little girl talk off her to-do list, Brittany requested Blaine's presence for a little visit to Serendipity. The two of them didn't spend a ton of time alone, what with Rachel or Sam always make up the third of a perfect trio, but she wanted to spend some time with her favorite Warbler. They ended up holed up at a back table with ridiculously huge frozen hot chocolates despite the unexpected cold spring day.

"I know that we don't leave for a month, but I wanted to make sure that we had a chance to talk alone before things got busy," Brittany told him as she took a long sip from her hot pink straw. "I know that Sam has talked to you about Chicago, but I wanted to make sure that you weren't mad at me."

"Of course not, Brit," Blaine assured her, reaching across the table to cover her hand with his. "I am sad that you guys are going and I will miss you a lot, but this is a huge opportunity for you. I couldn't be prouder of you."

She smiled warmly. "You know that you are very important to Sam and me, right?" she asked rhetorically, to which he nodded slightly. "In a lot of ways, you're the third person in my relationship, and I don't know what it's going to be like to do this. Everything Sam and I have done together, we've shared with you. I know you have your unicorn and all now, but I don't him to replace us."

"Oh, Brit," he smiled with genuine affection. "Trust me, there is no replacing you guys. You are my only Brittany, and there is no one who could fill that glittery place in my heart. You're my girl."

"Duh, Blainers," she rolled her eyes with a wide smile. "We love you, you know? If we could, I would marry you too just so that we never have to be apart. I know Sam is going to miss you most."

"And I will miss him, a lot actually," he acknowledged. "But I will be in Chicago to see all your important moments for both of you. I am glad that I am with Kurt again, but it's not the same as it is with you guys. You and Sam, Rach and Puck, you guys have been there through everything these past couple years. We're a family, and a little distance isn't going to change that."

"Promise?"

"I don't have to, I know that you already know that."

"I do," she agreed. "Take care of them, okay? Rachel and Puck, they'll need you."

"I will," he promised. "And you'll take care of him, right?"

"We'll take care of each other," she assured him. "I'm not even leaving for a few weeks! Why does this feel like goodbye?"

Blaine shook his head and smiled, his dark eyes twinkling. "There are no goodbyes with family, Miss Piece," he reminded her. "There are only see-you-laters."

"I never wanted to stop because I don't want to start all over," Brittany sang to him from across the table. "Start all over."

"I was afraid of the dark," Blaine responded in song, "but now it's all that I want, all that I want, all that I want."

"And when the daylight comes, I'll have to go," they sang together, both of them grinning madly at each other as they clutched hands across the table. "But tonight, I'm gonna hold you so close. 'Cause in the daylight, we'll be on our own, but tonight, I need to hold you so close."

With two down, Brittany knew that she had saved the hardest for last. She waited until it was her turn to go with Puck to Lima to broach the subject. He had been supportive of her going to Chicago, and with one of his other best friends in the city, she knew that he would come visit. However, Puck would be the hardest one for her to say goodbye to when the time finally came. He was more than her best friend; he was her second most important person after Sam. He had seen her through everything since they were kids, and this was going to be the first time they were apart for more than that lost month when he'd live in California two years ago.

"Only two more chemo appointments for Ma," Puck said as they exited the plane and came into the quiet terminal. It was late Friday night, and the Columbus airport was basically dead. "And then we'll find out where she's at and maybe I can start to plan what I am going to do next year."

"Speaking of next year, I've talked to Rachel and Blaine."

"I know, she mentioned it," he said as he took her rolling suitcase and led them toward the rental counter. "Look, Brit, I don't need the pep talk. I know that you're still going to be my best friend."

"I am," she confirmed, "but I think I'm the one who needs the pep talk."

Puck stopped walking then and turned to look at his blonde friend. There were tears sparkling in her usually bright eyes. He let go of the handle of her suitcase so that he could hug her tightly. "Hey, none of those now, this is what you wanted," he reminded her. "Chicago is so lucky to get you, Brit."

"What if I'm not good enough?" she whispered. "I haven't told anyone else that, not even Sam, but I'm scared that I don't have what it takes."

"Do you remember what you told me when I said my mom was sick?" he asked her. She shook her head with a lazy shrug. "You told me that if I couldn't believe, you would believe for me. I know that you can do this, Brit. I promise I would tell you if I didn't. You are an amazing dancer, and you are going to be a star there. I am so proud of you for chasing your dream when I know how scary that is for you. You are amazing, Brit. I don't know a lot, but I know that much for sure."

"What am I going to do without you next year?" she sniffled, trying in vain not to cry in the public airport. After Santana and leaving Lima and just everything, Puck had been there. "You are my best friend. I love you, Puck."

"Love you too, Brit," he murmured before kissing the top of her head. "You know that if you need me, I am always going to be there. You've been there for me all this year. We're always going to be there for each other. Nothing is going to change that, I promise. It's you and me always always always."

Brittany laughed abruptly and pushed him away jokingly. "You sound like you're in love with me."

"In your dreams, Brit," he teased her back.

It wasn't like that with them but he did love her just as much as she loved him. They might not have been in love with each other and were absolutely in love with other people, but the bond they shared was the strongest thing in either of their lives. For people who had been abandoned by the people they had needed most (her former best friend, his father), they needed that kind of bond. She couldn't let that person be Sam anymore than he could let it be Rachel. Relationships sometimes ended, and the realist in both of them needed to acknowledge that it could be the case for them. However, if Brittany and Sam's marriage ended or Rachel and Puck broke up, they would still have each other no matter what. It made the future a little less scary, and whatever that meant, Puck wanted to give that to his best friend.

After they came back to the city Sunday night, the five of them found themselves at Puck's bar, and it was somewhat of a surprise when Brittany was the first one to take the stage. "I have four amazing people here with me tonight, and this song is for them. Whether we are in Chicago or New York, we are a family." She caught Puck's eye and winked. "Always always always."

"I! I'm so in love with you. Whatever you want to do, is alright with me," Brittany sang, looking down at Sam with adoration in her eyes. "Cause you make me feel so brand new and I want to spend my life with you."

She swept her eyes over to Puck and grinned. "Let me say that since, alright, since we've been together," she sang to him. "Loving you forever is what I need. Oh, let me the one you come running to, I'll never be untrue."

"Oh, let's, let's stay together," Brittany wailed, looking at all four of them in equal turn. She clutched the microphone and belted out the notes soulfully. "Lovin' you whether, whether times are good or bad, happy or sad, alright, oh, yeah. Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad!"

She came down to the front of the stage and reached out for Blaine's outstretched hand. "Oh, tell me why, why, why, why, why, why, why people break up, turn around and make up," she harmonized with a happy smile playing on her face. "I can't see you never, never, never do that to me. You better not do, staying around you is all these eyes will ever see."

"Why won't you say that to me? Everybody says that let's, let's stay together," she belted out as she came down to stand next to Rachel, her arms around the shorter girl's shoulders. "Lovin' you whether, whether, times are good or bad, happy or sad."

"Everybody says let's stay together," Brittany finished, her other arm around Sam. His arm found a place around Puck's shoulders while Rachel reached out to bring Blaine to her side. The five of them finished the song together in unison. "I'll keep on loving you whether, whether times are, oh times, are good or bad, happy or sad. Whether, whether times are good or bad, happy or sad..."

* * *

_Lyrics credit to "Daylight" by Maroon 5 and "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green._


	25. Blaine is Beautiful

Blaine had been doing everything he could do to avoid having this conversation ever since Kurt broached the subject on one of their bicoastal conference calls on Sunday mornings. It wasn't that he didn't want to be in the same city as Kurt; he loved spending time together whenever they could. He just didn't want either of them to have to compromise on their priorities when they had such different things going on. Kurt had worked hard to build the life that he had in Los Angeles, and while it felt good to know that he would, Blaine couldn't ask him to give that up. He was equally unwilling to give up NYADA when he had worked so hard to get to where he was at the school. It's this knowledge that finally convinced him that he needed to have the talk.

"Kurt, I swear, I am not breaking up with you. I still want to see you all the time," he promised as he gazed at his boyfriend's image on the computer. He knew that there were a lot of people that cared about them both that wanted them together. Blaine wanted that too eventually, but for right now, they needed to be young. These years had the ability to shape their entire lives, and he didn't need for them to be in the same city to make the relationship work. "I just think you need to stay working with Mercedes and growing your little empire while I finish out these next two years at NYADA. We can at least take the year and reassess next spring."

"Well, I guess it does give me an excuse to do my Christmas shopping in New York," Kurt reasoned with a wry smile. Blaine knew that he was using the lighthearted humor to mask his disappointment, but it was the right decision. If either of them felt different by the holidays, Blaine could even consider taking a break at the semester. For now, this is what they needed to do. "But I do have a month coming up where I'll be free. I was thinking that maybe you could come out here for a couple weeks and then I could fly back with you to New York for a bit. Maybe Finn and Tina could come out with my parents. It'd be nice to have the whole family together."

"Sounds lovely," Blaine agreed happily. "Puck and Rachel are going to stick around the city most of the summer now that she'll be in rehearsals. It'd be great to spend some time with everyone, especially if it's before Sam and Brit take off for Chicago."

"When do they leave?"

"Beginning of June," Blaine exhaled sadly. He wasn't looking forward to that goodbye in the least. Thankfully, he had his final showcase of the year to focus on and everything else that he had going on in the city. "It's all going by too fast."

"It's just like with us," Kurt reminded him. "Just because the two of you won't be together every day doesn't mean that Sam is going to stop being your best friend. It just means that we'll have to plan trips to Chicago to visit the blondes. You know that Brittany will fall apart if she doesn't have her regular dosage of her unicorn and dolphin."

Blaine chuckled warmly as he leaned back in his chair and readjusted the laptop screen. "It's just harder on all of than I think we thought," he tried to explain. Sure, all the old glee kids had been split up, but the five of them had really bonded this year. They shared every detail of their lives together. "I think Puck is going to have some serious separation anxiety being split up from Brit. She's kind of his outlet when Rachel is driving him crazy. I'll miss having girl talk with Rach and Brit. Sam, Puck and I go workout together, you know, get our boxing on. It'll feel like something is missing without them here, at least for a while. I guess it's good that we're staying in the loft though. They'll always have a place to call home in New York."

"Speaking of the loft," Puck announced from the doorway, staring into Blaine's room without bothering to knock. "We're supposed to meet Rach over at the landlord's office in the Village to resign the lease in like a half hour. I figured you'd be ready."

Blaine shook his head in disbelief. "I totally forgot."

"Tell Beyonce later and let's head out. She'll kill me if we're late."

Kurt giggled as Blaine looked exasperatedly down at the screen. "It's fine, Blaine," he reassured him sweetly. "I understand the wrath of one Rachel Berry than anyone. I love you. Call me later, okay?"

"Sure thing," he said before waving his hand a little. "Love you too."

Once the screen had been closed and Blaine grabbed the worn leather messenger bag he'd toted everywhere with him since high school, the two of them headed toward the subway looking like the unlikeliest of pairs. Puck was wearing his old army jacket, the olive green one that had definitely seen better days and a well-worn pair of combat boots over his favorite tattered jeans. Blaine was primly polished in pressed powder blue pants and a yellow sweater vest with a navy blue button-up under it. Puck's shaved hair was tight and neat, Blaine's curls were messily gelled in it their signature way. Puck took long, lazy steps, while Blaine's gait had to be a little quicker just to keep up with the taller man.

"So, you're sure about this, right? Like, Rach didn't pressure you into it or anything?"

Blaine slid his subway pass through the slot and followed Puck through the turnstile. "Not anymore than she ever pressures me about anything," he answered. "That's what I was actually talking to Kurt about when you came in. I told him that I thought it was a good idea that he stay in LA this year while I am here in New York. We both need to focus on what we have going on, and right now, our lives are just on different coasts."

"That's super mature of you, dude," Puck said as they waited for the train, and Blaine could tell that he meant it. "I don't know if I could handle being away from Rach unless I had to do it for my mom. She's been so cool about how hectic shit's been the past six months that I couldn't put her through it again. I think it's awesome that you guys are willing to just let each other be after everything. I know it's been rough."

"It has been, but my life is in New York," Blaine shrugged. The two of them boarded the subway with the rest of the weary passengers. Once they were settled side by side in the plastic seat, he looked over at his more rebellious friend. "Thank you for wanting to keep me as a roommate next year."

"Of course, man, we're family," Puck said, lifting up his fist to pound it against Blaine's. "You're not just her friend too, Hobbit. You're mine as well. I know that we're not as close as Brit and me or like you are with Sam and Rach, but I think we have our own thing going and that it works for us. Besides, you can deal with Berry's crazy, and that stuff is hard to find."

Blaine chuckled knowingly. "She is one of a kind."

Just before they were about to go through a tunnel, Puck's phone rang. "It's my mom's doctor," he said apprehensively. Blaine took a deep breath and prayed that it wasn't bad news. He didn't want to be the one person there if it wasn't something good. "Go for Puckerman." Blaine wanted to lean a little closer so he could hear both ends of the conversation but knew that it would be rude, obvious and inappropriate. Instead, he just listened intently to Puck and pretended to be interested in the legal notice posted above the sliding doors. "Okay, and what does that mean?" Blaine glanced out of the corner of his eye to gauge Puck's expression. "And her counts are…?"

"Hmm, alright," Puck said, seemingly satisfied with the answer that must have come. "What would the next step be?" The musician pulled a tiny spiral pad from his jacket pocket and began to jot things down quickly. "Would that be with you or another doctor?"

The conversation went on for a few more minutes before Puck ended the call with a polite goodbye and shoved the notepad back into his pocket. He was quiet for a moment, hunched over with his head in his hand. It was only when Blaine heard him sniffle that he grew concerned. He reached out and rested his hand awkwardly on Puck's shoulder. "Ar-are you okay?" he stuttered. "Do I need to call Rachel to cancel or something?"

Puck looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "My mom went into remission," he whispered. "The cancer, there's no…it's just gone."

"But I thought…"

"Everyone did, the doctor said it's basically a miracle," Puck laughed through the tears. Blaine reached over and hugged him, knowing that it was unexpected but definitely warranted. "She's going to be okay. She's going to be fine."

He didn't say anything else as he pulled back from the hug and started to call his mom. Blaine gave him the necessary privacy and didn't pay attention anything Puck was saying until they were coming up on their stop. He heard Puck tell his mom that he loved her and that he would call that evening when Becca was home so that they could all talk on conference call. It made Blaine want to call his own mother to tell her that he loved her. The Puckerman family really deserved this win.

The previously planned dinner to celebrate the resigning of the loft lease that night quickly turned into a celebration for Puck's mom. After he had spoken to his mom and sister, Blaine ventured out with Rachel and Puck to meet Sam and Brittany at a pizza joint. There were already pitchers of beer waiting when they slid into the corner booth, and Brittany had used marinara sauce to write "Happy Remission Day" on a plate for Puck. He laughed and pressed a kiss to the blonde's hair while never letting go of Rachel's hand. He had never seen the guy so happy, and Blaine had never been so glad for him.

"She wants you all to come to Lima at some point this summer so that she can throw a big barbecue to thank you all," Puck said as he looked around the table. "And you all have to be there or I'll kick your ass."

"We'll find a way to drive over," Brittany promised, Sam nodding beside her.

"And I will have to go home to visit my fathers on what little time off I get, so you know that you can count on me," Rachel pledged. "I can't wait to see your mother."

"What about you, Anderson?" Puck asked.

Blaine nodded with a pleased smile. "You know that you can count on me to be there."

After dinner, Puck took the girls back to the loft in a taxi after they'd both consumed too many drinks to manage the short walk home. Sam and Blaine, on the other hand, elected to take advantage of the beautiful night and set out on foot. Blaine knew that these kinds of moments were going to become rarer and rarer in the days ahead. Sam's schedule before they left for Chicago was already pretty full, and Blaine wasn't going try to make himself a priority when his friend had so much going on.

"Did you talk to Kurt?"

"Yeah, I think we're going to be okay," he smiled. "We'll make things work this year, see where we are when it comes up again next spring or summer. We got the lease signed this afternoon so I'm at the loft for at least another year as long as nothing happens."

Sam looked up at the bright lights of a neon billboard just ahead. "I am going to miss that loft."

"You can always come back home," Blaine promised him. "It's not like Puck is going to move into that room. We'll keep it there for you and Brit. It belongs to you guys."

"I like knowing that you guys will be here if we need you," Sam admitted. "And you know that we will always have a place for you in Chicago, right? It might not be a whole room right now since money's tight, but when we can afford it, there will be a Blaine room."

"Just don't let Brit decorate it, okay? Otherwise, I foresee a ton of rainbow glitter in my future."

Sam chuckled heartily, knowing that Blaine was probably right. "So are you nervous about the showcase tomorrow?"

"No, I've been preparing for two months. I'm just glad that you guys will be here to see it," Blaine replied. "It might be the last time you get to hear me sing."

"Hey, man, we'll be there for the important stuff," Sam promised. "And when I can't be there, you know Rachel will tape it for me. I'm still going to be your biggest fan whether I am in Chicago or New York or Ohio. Not even Kurt can compare to how much I believe in you, man."

"I know all that…"

"It's just nice to hear it sometimes," Sam finished for him. "Now that we've got the soul-touching portion of this out of the way, what do you say that we race home? Ten bucks says I kick your ass."

"You're on!"

Ten minutes later, Sam begrudgingly handed over a ten-dollar-bill, and Blaine stopped into the corner liquor store to buy the roommates a six-pack of beer for a celebratory nightcap.

Blaine only briefly regretted that last drink the next morning when he woke up with a slight headache. He knew that it was careless to indulge the night before a big performance, and if Rachel could gather her bearings, he would be in for a long lecture later. In the meantime, he went through his typical performance day rituals of calling Kurt, taking a long run through the park, loading up on carbs while he imagined the sheet music in his head and grabbed a honey lemon tea before heading over to Lincoln Center where he would get to perform.

The majestic building held so memories for Blaine from his childhood, ones that reminded him how lucky he was to be there. Rachel had given her own final performance a few days ago. This night was all about Blaine, and he was looking forward to sharing it with his friends. He had taken a note from Mr. Schue's book and come up with a killer mashup. He would be backed by only his own arrangement on piano. It was a piece that only his closest advisor had heard and Kurt would get to watch live thanks to Rachel's FaceTime hookup. By the time he was called to the stage, he couldn't find it in himself to be nervous. This is was literally a dream coming true.

"And now the purple dusk of twilight time teals across the meadows of my heart. High up in the sky, the little stars climb, always reminding me that we're apart," Blaine started out before slipping into his second song. "People they come together, people they fall apart. No one can stop us now 'cause we are all made of stars."

"Oh, we are all of stars," Blaine repeated, his fingers moving easily across the keys. The arrangement was much slower than the original. "Efforts of lovers left in my mind. I sing in the reaches, we'll see what we find. Sometimes I wonder why I spend the lonely nights dreaming of a song. The melody haunts my reveries and I am once again with you."

"When stars are bright, you are in my arms. The nightingale tells his fairytale," he continued, his eyes closed. The stage was dark with only twinkling lights as a backdrop. "Slow, slow, slow. Come, come, someone, come. No one can stop us now' cause we are all made of stars."

"Though I dream in vain, in my heart it will remain. My stardust melody, the memory of love's refrain," he finished. His eyes open now, looking down at his friends. "No one can stop us now 'cause we are all made of stars."

Blaine had a surprised look on his face when he met up with his friends afterward. "I think I just got offered a recording contract," he said as he looked at Puck and then Brittany. "That guy who did the benefit album last fall was here tonight and wants to work with me. Like this is a real thing."

"Oh my god!" Rachel squealed as she hugged her best friend. Sam reached over to hug him next. "This is amazing. You have to tell Kurt!"

Blaine nodded but brushed off Rachel's outstretched hand. "I'll call him later," he promised, knowing that Kurt would get it when he explained. "For now, I just want to celebrate with my friends."

* * *

_Lyrics to the mashup belong to "Stardust" by Nat King Cole and "We're All Made of Stars" by Moby. _


	26. Puck is Positive

"I can't believe there is only one week left of school," Rachel said the Sunday before the aforementioned final week of classes, throwing aside her hot pink highlighter and grimacing down at her music theory text book.

The roommates were all scattered around the loft preparing for finals. With most of them done with their actual performances, it was a lot of studying for written exams. Puck, however, had actually already completed the written portion of his finals. He was the sole roommate left to perform, which would take place at the sophomore recital on Thursday night. They were all slated to attend.

"Just look at it this way, Rach, as soon as you're finished with your last final, you get to have like three days off before throwing yourself right back into rehearsals," Blaine reminded her cheekily. He had been ribbing her endlessly about her busy schedule, particularly since his own wouldn't pick up until mid-summer when he'd start working on his album. It wasn't going to be a big deal, just an AC record in the vein of Buble or Groban. Puck knew the former Warbler was perfectly suited for it. "Kurt would love for you guys to come out to the LA. Mercedes is supposed to be off, we could hit up the beach."

Rachel looked up from her note book and shook her head. "I barely have any time off, and what time we do have, I already have scheduled to go back to Lima to see our families and then to go to Chicago to visit Brit and Sam."

"We're more important than Kurt?" Sam asked, clutching his hand to his chest in false modesty. "I'm touched, I had no idea that we ranked so highly."

"You don't, Evans," Puck shot back. "We're going to see Brit."

"Yeah, so there!" Brit cheered, tossing a throw pillow at her fiancee's head. "I'm awesome."

"That you are, Brit," Puck agreed, reaching out to slap hands with her before returning to the sheet music filled with his notations. He had been working on the piece but knew that it was missing something. While he knew the original interpretation of the song, he had wanted to make it his own. A change in key and time wasn't enough. It needed more. "I'm going to head outside to work on this so I don't bother you guys."

"You're not bothering us, Noah," Rachel said sweetly without bothering to look up from her book. He knew that he was but that she'd never admit it because she just liked being around him. With as much as time as they've had to spend apart since the holidays, it could be lacking at times. However, she was an awesome and surprisingly understanding girlfriend. "You know that I love your voice."

"That's sweet, babe, but I'm not going to keep you guys from your focus. I'll be out on the fire escape if anyone needs me," he told them. He waited for a beat for a response from anyone, but they were all back to the grind of memorizing useless facts that didn't really have much to do with really performing.

He lifted the window and crawled out to the favorite practice spot of the loft's inhabitants. Once he had mostly shut it behind him, he settled on the metal grate with guitar in lap. He didn't set to work immediately on the song, though his calloused fingers did rest idly against the strings with a thick plastic pick tucked between his thumb and index finger. Everyone inside was just trying to wrap up these projects so they could move onto something bigger and better.

Brittany was going to be dancing with the Joffrey. Puck was excited for her, proud beyond relief, but he would be lying if he didn't say that he was a little scared. He would still have Blaine and Rachel around the city, but it wasn't the same. He'd always had Finn or Brittany around, and now he would have to go it alone without a best friend to rely on. Part of him knew that he needed to start looking at Rachel like that, particularly because the only future Puck could see included her. However, he also knew that he needed to have his own place to go to, and Brittany had been that this year.

Of course, with Brit leaving, it meant that Sam had to go with her. The two of them were perfect for each other, and Puck would be more worried about the blonde dancer were it not for Evans. He had gotten into a music program in Chicago, one that would put him right into the heart of what he wanted to be doing with his life. It was smaller than the one in New York and probably a little less competitive. It also included a lot less theory classes, something Sam was looking forward to as it better for his dyslexia. Puck was going to miss his workout partner and all-around bro. He could see epic COD marathons between the guys in Chicago, Finn and him.

Blaine would still be in the city, but half of his summer had already been allotted to time with Kurt. The two of them were good, and Puck was proud of Blaine for prioritizing his life in a way that allowed him to be selfish. He never would have used that word to describe Blaine, still wouldn't, but he had done what he needed to do for himself. Puck was a lot like that and could admire it. He was looking forward to visiting the studio to watch the shorter man record. Blaine had even mentioned asking him to do some guitar work, so that could be fun.

And then there was Rachel, his perfect Jewish American Princess with a voice bigger than her gorgeous nose. Every day, he fell a little more in love with her. She was so excited about playing Belle, but surprisingly, she was even more excited about going home to Lima. She had been talking for weeks about seeing her fathers and the Puckermans and Tina. He had to admit that he was glad to be going back to Ohio after happier circumstances than they'd had all year.

Puck, though, he didn't need any of these big dreams right now. He just wanted to finish his sophomore year and have an uneventful junior year. He wanted to get through the program without any more health scares from his mother so that she could travel to New York two Mays from now to watch him receive his diploma from Tisch. Everyone had their reasons for doing things, but Puck's were pretty simple.

It wasn't for him or even for Rachel, though he'd never tell her that. He was doing this for his mom, for all the sacrifices she had made to get him here. He was doing this for his sister, to make sure that she had a good role model. He was doing this for his daughter, so that she could be proud of him someday. He was doing this for his family.

Once he had actually worked on the piece a little, he decided to call that family. His mom sounded so happy every time he talked to her, and he knew that hearing you were cancer-free could do that to a person. "I am excited that you are going to be home in two weeks," she confessed, and he could almost picture her sitting in her nurse's scrubs on the porch, a cup of coffee in hand after dinner. "I know that everyone is going to come for a barbecue in June, but I was thinking we could do something smaller when you come back. I just want my kids here, you and Bex, of course, but also Finn and Rachel. You tell Finn he can bring Tina too. That girl is just so sweet, you know, voice like an angel. Of course, it's nothing like our Rachel's, but still talented nonetheless."

Puck wasn't sure when she had started thinking of Rachel as theirs, but he liked the idea of her just belonging with their family. "I am sure everyone would love to make it, Ma," he assured her affectionately. "I just don't want you to go too much trouble. I know you've had a lot going on and you're still recovering. You need to take it easy."

"No, I need to live, Noah," she countered with a happy giggle. "I want you to know how proud of you I am. You really stepped up this year and showed me that you are the man of this family. I always knew it before, but it was a glaring reminder. I know that I made a lot of mistakes in the past with your father and everything, but seeing you now, I know that I did a lot of things right too. I am so proud to be your mother, and you and Becca will always be the biggest accomplishments of my life."

He thought briefly of his own perfect little blonde accomplishment and smiled. "I love you, Ma."

"I love you too, Noah."

A few minutes later, he promised to have Blaine record his performance so she could see it when he came home and then waited as his mother handed the phone over to Becca. His little sister was so wrapped up in the drama of middle school that she barely took a breath in her rant against some girl named Heather. It reminded him so much, too much, of his girlfriend. When she finally did come up from air, he was amazed at how young she sounded all of a sudden.

"When are you coming home, Noah?"

"I'll be back in two weeks, Bex," he reminded her. "Rachel is going to come with me to visit her fathers. Ma is planning this thing with Finn and Tina. You'll get to see all of us."

"Good, she'll be really happy that you're here," she said softly. "And me too, I guess." He couldn't help but chuckle a little. "This year has been hard, huh?"

"Yeah, it's sucked," he admitted, "but you've been amazing, Bex. You were so strong for Ma. I couldn't be prouder of you if I tried. I know it's been hard and scary, but you are an incredible girl."

"Thanks, Noah," she retorted. "Now, what are you bringing me from New York?"

After jotting down his sister's New York wishlist, Puck hung up his cell phone so that he could call Finn. The two of them had been talking a lot more the past couple months, especially since the tall lug had been around to help his Ma when he needed to be in New York. Finn had really stepped up, and Puck would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised. He hadn't really expected the support and wasn't even really sure that he deserved it. But he supposed that his Ma totally did and that was really all that mattered.

"So, man, you have to be there."

"Dude, you know I dream about your mom's cooking. Well, anyone's cooking but that's not really the point. Tina will be down too. She likes your sister. They talk about that anime stuff or whatever. I don't really understand what they are talking about," Finn rambled. "So, yeah, we'll be there."

"How much sugar have you had today exactly?"

"Only like two packages of licorice. Tina hid the Dots I had left over from the movies last night so I'd actually study for finals today," Finn confessed. "I've had three cups of coffee instead. Oh, yeah, and like two Cokes."

Puck smirked to himself. "Anyway, dude, that sounds good. I know Ma will be psyched, it's all she could talk about," he retorted. "And I sorta wanted to thank you for all the stuff you did for her and Bex this year. I know she appreciates it, and I want you to know that I do too. It's been hard, but having you there made it a little easier."

"Man , you'd totally do the same thing for my mom."

He did love Carole. "Just, you know, still," he replied. "Thanks."

With things finally okay with Finn, he was starting to feel like maybe he had his old friend back. He'd thought that before, but the past few months with Finn's support of his mom made it that much clearer. He also hadn't seen his friend so happy in long, since before Rachel when he was first with Quinn. Speaking of the blonde baby mama, she was back at Yale, kicking ass and taking names in the drama program. She and Artie had decided to just be friends for now, but who knew what the summer would bring? Puck heard that Santana had taken up with some girl who lived down the hall, but he still hadn't had the heart to tell Brittany.

Later that night, Puck came into Rachel's room to find her sprawled out on her bed. With her book over her face and her legs going every which way, he knew that she had likely been asleep for a while. "Hey, babe," he said softly, shaking her slightly so that she wouldn't be startled and could slowly wakeup. She was kind of a nightmare otherwise. She was so tiny and so mean. "Rach, wake up, I need your help. It's with a so-on-ng!"

She darted up immediately at the singsong way he had held out the last note. "You need me to perform?"

"Sorta," Puck laughed as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "I've been working on my showcase piece, and I just think it'd be better as a duet. That's how it's originally written and even my mad arrangement skills can't do it justice as a solo. I mean, I know that my guitar skills are dope and my voice is silky smooth, but even a Jewish stud like me can use a little star power."

"Well, I am a star," she agreed. She raised her arms over her head and stretched deeply. "I'm in."

Sixteen hours and no sleep later, Rachel followed Puck into the small auditorium at Tisch where the showcase was being held. He saw Blaine sitting down in front with Sam and Brittany, camcorder in hand. The rest of the seats were filled as well, and he knew that it was rare that any of the showcases get that kind of attendance. He was a little nervous, something he hadn't felt since Nationals back in high school. He knew that they were ready, that he was ready, and the butterflies fluttering in his stomach were actually welcome.

"Back in high school, I came to New York and performed with my choir. We thought we were amazing and when we lost here, I never thought I'd see the city again," he told everyone as he sat on a stool alone on the stage. "A friend of mine, my best friend, kind of kissed the girl I loved, though neither of them knew it at the time, using a song that I had written for her. When we got the chance to do it all over again the next year in Chicago, we won."

"And now, three years later, I finally made it to New York. This year has been the hardest of my life, but I've gotten through it because of those same friends I had in high school," he explained. "Two of those friends are actually heading back to live out their dreams in Chicago. My best friend, Brittany, is here with our fiancée, and soon they'll be living in the Windy City with our friend, Mike. And that best friend I talked about earlier, Finn, he's back in our hometown with a girl named Tina who is actually pretty perfect for him."

"And Blaine's here. He goes to NYADA, the dude's a total talent. I get to share the next year with him and his best friend, the love of my life, Rachel. She's headed for Broadway, gonna be the new Belle. I am surrounded by talent," he admitted. "When I think of these people and the others I haven't mentioned, I remember that perfect moment in Chicago when we could say we were the best. No matter what happens, no matter how long it's been or where we end up, no one can take that from us. For one brief and shining moment, we owned the night."

"Tell me, have you ever wanted someone so much it hurts? Your leeps keep trying to speak, but you can't find the words. Well, I had this dream once; I held in my hand," he sang, still on the stage alone with only his guitar beneath a single spotlight. "She was the purest beauty but not the common kind. She had a way about her that made you feel alive. And for a moment, we made the world stand still."

"yeah, we owned the night," he went on as Rachel slowly made her way out of the shadows holding her bedazzled microphone. "You had me dim the lights. You danced just like a child. The wine spilled on your dress."

"And all you did was smile," she took over. "Yeah, it was perfect, I hold it in my mind."

"Yeah, we owned the night," they sang in unison. "When the summer rolls around and the sun starts winking down."

"I still remember you," Puck belted out, to which Rachel responded, "Oh, I remember you." They continued together with, "And I wonder where you are."

"Are you looking at those same stars again?" Puck sang, coming down to the edge of the stage to gesture to his friends to come up. "Do you remember when?"

"We woke under a blanket, all tangled up in skin," Rachel added, coming to stand next to a still-strumming Puck. "Not knowing in that moment we'd never speak again, but it was perfect."

"I never will forget," the five of them sang together, "when we owned the night. Yeah, we owned the night."

Puck looked out at the audience as everyone rose to their feet, and it felt like, just for a moment, they were all back in New Directions. He took Rachel's hand and then Brittany's before pulling them down into a deep bow. As the curtain dropped in front of them, they all gathered around in a group hug just like they used to after finishing a big group number. He would never be able to get those days back, but he was starting to see that these ones were pretty good.

"That was amazing!" Rachel exclaimed, sounding exhilarated. "It felt great."

"That was quite incredible," Blaine agreed, his arm thrown around Brittany's shoulder. "I've missed it."

Sam pushed his blonde hair out of his eyes. "Puck, you're totally gonna get an A."

"I don't care, dude, this wasn't about that. It was about us. It's been a long time since I had that much fun."

"I think this calls for a celebration!" Brittany decided. "Who's down for the arcade?"

"I'm in!" Puck agreed automatically.

"Well, you kids have fun but I have exams in the morning," Blaine said. "One more final and I am done. A little studying and sleep are all I see in my immediate future."

"Yeah, you're gonna have to go it without me too," Rachel added. "Music theory at 8 a.m., and I want to kill that final so I can start the summer off on the right foot. But you guys have fun!"

Sam looked at his fiancée and then at Puck. "I think that you two should just go alone. I have some stuff to work on too."

Brittany and Puck didn't even attempt to pretend that they were willing to go home in solidarity. They just kissed their respective partners and slapped Blaine on the shoulder before heading out into the night. They talked about the performance and a little about Mike and just about the summer in general. When they got to the old penny arcade that people still actually went to in droves, they were happy to find a row of skee ball tables free. Brittany stood guard while Puck turned his twenty into a handful of tokens.

"Every game I win, I get to ask you a question," Puck said. "You win, you ask me."

"Deal," Brittany said, spitting on her hand before extending it out for him to shake it. Puck grimaced but shook her hand anyway. "Prepare to spill, Puckerman."

Three games later, Brittany sat down proudly at the snack bar and waited for Puck to come back with her beer. "Alright, three questions," she said as he handed over the pale ale. "You have to answer them all. I can't believe you didn't even win one!"

"It was an off night," he argued. "Just wanted to give you a going away present."

"Uh huh, sure," she laughed. "First question, what is your biggest regret?"

Puck looked down at his hands. "Stealing that ATM junior year," he confessed. "It really messed things up for a while. It was so hard on my mom. We didn't have the money and it just put us in a bad place. I would say sleeping with Q because it hurt Finn so much and ruined everything, but that gave me Beth. It's kinda hard to regret that."

She looked up at him, remembering the end of sophomore year and how that had almost torn everything apart. "My second question is what are you going to miss most about me living in Chicago?"

"Nights like these," he replied. "The ability to just have fun without caring about who's watching or what anyone thinks. Having someone who is just on my side no matter what but still isn't afraid to kick my ass when I need it a little."

"Yeah, I think that's what I'll miss most too. And the homeless guy on 83rd, he always has the best food."

Puck looked at her with a wrinkled brow but just ignored the gross admission. "Last one, make it good."

"What scares you?"

"I'm supposed to be fearless, right? I guess you see through that."

"Always have," she reminded him. She'd always seen him differently. "You're my hedgehog."

"I don't know what that means but cool," he deadpanned.

"It means that you're all prickly on the outside but it's just a way to protect yourself," she explained. "But when you get all sweet and curl up, you turn into a big, fuzzy ball. Plus, you're like totally awesome at cuddling."

Puck smirked cockily. "Well, I guess even hedgehogs are scared of stuff. I guess what I was always afraid of was ending up like my dad, but I don't think that's going to happen anymore. I think losing my family is what scares me most. Not just my ma and Bex but you guys too. I can't imagine being alone."

"You won't ever be, Sonic," she teased before knocking back the rest of her beer. "You're gonna come visit right?"

"All the time," he vowed. "You're gonna be great, Brit."

"Duh, I already am."

Puck was still asleep the next morning when Rachel came home from her last final. She crawled onto the couch and nestled into his arms to catch a quick nap. He woke up before her this time, not all that surprised to find her tiny frame tucked in with him. He kissed the top of her hair, which smelled like grapefruit and mint.

"Something in the way she moves attracts me like no other lover. Something in the way she woos me, I don't want to leave her now. You know I believe her now," he murmured to himself, stroking his hand up and down her arm. "Somewhere in her smile she knows that I don't need no other lover. Something in her style that shows me. Don't want to leave her now; you know I believe her now. You're asking me will my love grow. I don't know, I don't know. You stick around now, it may show. I don't know, I don't know. Something in the way she knows and all I have to do is think of her. Something in the things she shows me. Don't want to leave her now, you know I believe her now."

"You singing to me?"

"Always," he whispered against her temple. "And if you will reach your right down beneath the sofa, I think you will find something for you."

Rachel squealed in delight before retrieving a little black velvet box from the floor. "It's not…"

"Not an engagement ring," he confirmed. "We're not there. Yet."

"Yet?"

"It's you, Rach," he whispered so that only she could possibly hear. "Open it."

She flipped it open to find a white gold necklace with his name on it. "You wore one for Finn once and then one of your own. You don't even have to wear it now. I just want you to know that everything I am is yours, including my name."

She turned over and pressed her lips to his. "I love it. I love you."

"Love you too, babe," he replied. "And just so you know, I would marry you in a minute if we were ready, but you got some stuff to do before you can settle down with the Puckerone. You gotta fly, babe, and I can't wait to see how high you get."

Their sophomore year in New York was finally complete, and lying there with Rachel, he couldn't believe how quickly those months had flown by. They'd had love – with the engagement and Klaine reunion and really getting things together with him in Rachel. They'd had heartbreak – the whole thing with Santana and his mom getting sick and Rachel's money problems. They'd had some great successes, and now they were all going to get to have their dreams. But for now, Puck wanted to lie on the couch with his girlfriend in his arms and enjoy just being a young, carefree college kid. They had the entire summer ahead of them, and he predicted great things.

_Lyrics credit to "Something" of the Joe Cocker version and "We Owned the Night" by Lady A. Just one chapter, a love letter of an epilogue, remains. Thank you, dear friends; it's been one crazy ride._


	27. Epilogue

"So I just close my eyes and dream 'cause life is never really what it seems," sang Lady Gaga as Brittany turned slowly in a circle on the rooftop patio. The sun was slipping over the horizon, leaving New York in this beautiful warm amber glow that only came at a certain hour on a certain date in a certain place. "In every mystery, there's a truth you know I'm tellin', I'm tellin you."

She lifted her right leg parallel to the ground in a beautiful arabesque before moving en pointe. Her arms lifted into fifth position, strong and high. "No matter lightning or thunder, buckets of rainwater, you can't flood this town," the song went on. "In a world unknown, you've gotta hold your own and you can't stop me. You're never ever, ever gonna stop me now."

Brittany never needed to tell anyone when she was happy. That's just not what kind of girl she was. She always had a big smile on her face, trying to walk through the world without a care because it jut felt better. Santana had always told her that it made her different, better, more special, than all the rest of them. She didn't feel different with Sam though. She felt like she belonged.

She had also felt like she belonged in New York. The people at Julliard seemed to get her in a way that the McKinley kids never did, and she had loved being part of that program these past two years. She had made great strides in her talent, but when that offer had come from the Joffrey, she knew that it made her even more special than she had been before. She just wanted to dance, and to dance with Mike again would be great. Dancing on the roof in New York might always be better than dancing on one in Chicago, but dancing with Mike was even better.

All of her friends were amazing. Rachel had this big voice and spending the past month rehearsing had only confirmed what they had always known. New York fit her like a glove and seeing her on that stage in that grand theater had only made it that much clearer. She was Belle, and Brittany was swept up in the magic of it all every single time. She was so proud of the former object of her teasing, and Brittany was so glad to consider the songstress as a sister.

Blaine had basically refused to go to LA until after they were gone. There would be plenty of time with Kurt and Mercedes after they were settled in Chicago. The relationship was strong, and Brittany was happy that the Dolphin and the Unicorn might be able to make it work this time. She had always loved Blaine, but having him as Sam's best friend only made him matter that much more to her. He was so talented, and she was so proud of where his record could take him. There would always be room for him wherever they went; he was almost their third in a lot of ways that mattered.

Saying goodbye to them and that loft made her sadder than she could have ever imagined. If Blaine had never found it on Craig's List last summer, they never would have had this year together as a family. Late night parties at the bar and epic spaghetti dinners and all-out video game matches in the living room had made the loft feel like home.

And Brittany suspected that along with Sam (most importantly Sam), Puck was the thing that made her feel at home there. Living the past year in that dingy corner of the living room had given him a future with Rachel, a place to hide out when things got tough with his mother, a haven all of his own. It had allowed them to hang out and confide in each other and escape the drama and the stress. He had survived a year in New York at Tisch, and he had two incredible years ahead of him. One of her only regrets about the whole move was that she wouldn't be in New York to see them.

The part that made her okay with leaving was knowing that he had Rachel. Between returning to performing at the coffee shop and his shifts at the bar that summer, he had her. He was going to help out a little with Blaine's record and went to Rachel's rehearsals and was carefree in a way he hadn't been in a couple years. It was still strange to see them together sometimes but they belonged together. It was the most stable thing either of them had ever had, which was weird considering Finn, but it worked.

The other thing that worked was Sam. It was amazing that he was willing to follow her there. She still feared that she didn't deserve it. He loved her so completely, and the move could have put undue pressure on them. It could have been a disaster. They had friends and a life here, everything she had thought she had wanted when they'd left Lima and sometimes still did. She wanted to be a dancer but she wanted to be his wife more. If he hadn't wanted to go, she would have stayed for him. It's the same reason he was willing to go for her.

She had no doubt that Sam was going to take Chicago by storm. This new program afforded him the chance to escape traditional academics and fully immerse himself into the performance aspect of music. He wouldn't have to worry about history and theories; instead, he would get to sing and play and be really awesome at what he was made to do. They'd have a home, an apartment that was just the two of them and the Tubbingtons. They would be a family of their own, and that was kind of amazing.

So that was where the five of them stood, where they were going and where they had already been. Rachel would continue to kick Belle's ass with Puck by his side, him just content to kick around the city all summer before returning to Tisch. Blaine would live a bicoastal life for awhile until he landed back in New York to begin recording and do another year at NYADA. Brittany and Sam would head to Chicago, where he would sing his heart out and she would dance for him. Those five kids from Ohio would be three and two separately, ready to come back together at any time to be five again.

Brittany had stopped dancing at some point and was just sort of looking out at the city when Sam came up to the roof with his guitar. He came over and stood behind her, his free arm wrapped loosely around her and his chin on her shoulder. Blaine was close behind, dragging the lounge chair over to sit near them. He looked out at the city and how beautiful it was bathed in the late dusk sunlight. Puck came up a few minutes later, hi guitar on his back and Rachel next to him, the two of them talking softly as they came to stand next o Blaine.

"Remember that night last summer when we were up here?" Rachel asked, her hands playing absently with the collar of Puck's shirt. "It seems like forever ago, doesn't it?"

"It does," Sam agreed, his breath tickling the shell of Brittany's ear. "I'm going to miss coming up here."

Brittany pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth. "We'll be back here."

Blaine chuckled softly, leaving the others to smile along with him. He stood up and pulled Rachel away from Puck. She went for Brittany and indicated to Sam and Puck that they should pick up their guitars.

"What are we singing?" Puck asked Blaine.

"Just keep up," Rachel answered for him. She hummed a few bars of a song they all recognized as one she often sang around the apartment. Puck and Sam began to strum along together in unison while Brittany and Blaine fell into an impromptu waltz. "Don't you go away. I now without your love, I'll never find my way back home."

"Cause you and me," Puck sang out, "so happily, make all our dreams of make believe reality."

"La la la," Brittany and Blaine harmonized together as they spun around the other three. "La la la. La la la la."

"Truobles never find us there," Sam added. "Oh, bubbles float through the air. Float through the air. Float through the air, air, air, air."

Puck and Rachel sprinkled in a chorus of "la la la" before Brittany took over the lead. "So don't you go away. I know without your love, I'll never find my way back home."

"I'll never find my way back home, no, no," Blaine echoed. "I'll never find my way back home, no, no. I'll never find my way back home."

Everyone applauded as Blaine finished. The guys sat aside their guitars before wrapping their arms around their girls. Blaine fell in between Brittany and Rachel. "We still sound good together," Brittany grinned proudly. "Do you think we'll lose that to time?"

"Are you kidding me?" Rachel asked aghast. "With true performers like Blaine and me and the musical talents of Samuel and Noah, it seems impossible. We're amazing, Brit."

Sam smiled over at the petite brunette. "I'm really glad you guys are staying here. It's ours, you know?" he asked rhetorically. "You guys made this year awesome. I thought I'd end up in a stupid dorm again until you guys invited us to live here. If you hadn't done that, we wouldn't have our New York family."

"Don't be a girl, Evans."

"I think it's sweet, Noah," Rachel countered. "You know he's right. You've loved it – loved us – as much as the rest of us have."

He shrugged non-committally, and Blaine had to roll his eyes at the ridiculousness of the whole conversation. "Well, any time you guys want to come back to New York, you know that you have a place here," he reminded them. He had told them before and he'd keep saying it again in the very unlikely chance that Brittany hated the Joffrey. "We'll still be here for junior year."

"Yeah, it's not too late to change your mind," Rachel teased Brittany. She hugged her tightly, pulling Blaine into the three-way embrace. "We'd have so much fun again!"

"Rachel," she smiled before looking over at Puck. "Take care of the boys, okay?"

"We don't need to be taken care of, Brit."

"You're right," she replied to Puck before looking back at Rachel. "Blaine can probably handle himself, but Puck definitely can't. Just take care of him."

"Always," Rachel beamed before kissing her boyfriend. "We'll take care of each other and you guys will take care of each other and then we will be back together before we know it."

"It's only four months until winter break," Puck pointed out. "Hanukkah in Chicago?"

"I'm down," Brittany laughed. "Thanksgiving in New York?"

"Thanksgiving in Lima," Blaine replied. "New Years in New York."

"And you have to come to the opening night," Rachel implored. "Front and center, you promised."

"Of course, and you guys will come out to see Brit tear it up with Mike," Sam added.

"Plus the album release event since Sam and Puck are both doing music for it," Blaine retorted. "Kurt will be here too. It'll be a nice reunion."

"But it will still be a reunion," Brittany said sadly. She looked at all four of them. "I love you guys."

"Ah, Brit Brit," Puck murmured before pulling her into a hug. Sam was the next one to pile on, sandwiching her from the other side. Rachel ended up pressed beneath Puck's arm while Sam slung his own around Blaine to pull him into the fold. "We love you too."

"Tons," Sam agreed.

"Infinitely," Blaine countered.

"Infinitely plus one," Rachel laughed childishly. "Forever."

And that was how the five of them ended their sophomore year, the best year of their lives. It was there on that roof in the middle of everything where they had had friendships and romances, heartaches and heartbreaks. Old friends had come back and new ones had been made. It had been complicated, messy, cruel, terrifying, dramatic, sad, amazing, and through it all, they'd had each other. The next summer when they came back together on that same roof top and they made a promise that their senior year together would beat it. Chicago had been great and all but New York was home. These people were home.

**FIN.**

* * *

_Author's Note: Lyrics credit to "No Floods" by Lady Gaga and "Find My Way Back Home" by Priscilla Ahn. A happy ending for all of our roommates is what I had to have. There won't be a sequel for this one about their senior year before anyone asks. However, I am already planning the next story I am going to write, one that will be Puckleberry focused. I hope you will follow me to the next story I have to tell, and thank you for hanging in there for this one. Xoxo._


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